HS 766 
.07 
1887 
Copy 1 


CONDENSED HISTORY 


OF THE 


ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED 


SCOTTISH RITE MASONRY 


FROM ITS INTRODUCTION INTO 


THE UNITED STATES 


TO 


THE PRESENT TIME. 


1887 . 


NEW YORK : 

DRUMMOND & NEU, 
Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, 
1 to 7 Hague Street. 


C 



















r 


.f/7 

H 


CONDENSED HISTORY 


OF THE 

ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED 

SCOTTISH RITE MASONRY 

FROM ITS INTRODUCTION INTO 

THE UNITED STATES 


THE PRESENT TIME. 


1887. 



NEW YORK: 
DRUMMOND & NEU, 

Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, 
1 to 7 Hague Street. 











Published under the authority of the 

SUPREME COUNCIL, 

Thirty-third and Last Degree 

OF THE 

Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masonry, 

AS ORGANIZED BY 

T. I. JOSEPH CERNEAU, M. P. S. G. C., 

OCTOBER 27, 1807, 

FOR THE 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES. 


Most Illustrious Ferdinand J. S. Gorgas, M. D., Most Puissant Sovereign 
Grand Commander, Baltimore, Md. 

Very Illustrious Alexander B. Mott, M. D., Puissant Lieutenant Grand Com¬ 
mander, New York, N, Y. 

Very Illustrious Philip F. D. Hibbs, Grand Orator and Minister of State, 
Brooklyn, N. Y, 

Very Illustrious James S. Fraser, Grand Secretary General H.*..E.*. New 
York, N. Y. ; U 

Very Illustrious John H. Russell, Grand Treasurer General'H.'. E. *. New 
York, N. Y. 

Very Illustrious George Davis, Grand Marshal General, Charleston, W. Va. 

Very Illustrious James McGrath, Grand Master General of Ceremonies, Jersey 
City, N. J. 

Very Illustrious William Marshall, Grand Standard Bearer, Wilmington, Del. 

Very Illustrious J. Thompson Brown, Grand Captain of the Guard, Rich¬ 
mond, Va. 

Illustrious Alexander McLean, Grand Seneschal, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Illustrious Alexander W. Murray, Grand Sentinel, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Members Emeriti. 

M.\ Ill.*. William H. Peckham. V.-. Ill.'. Benjamin C. Leveridge. 

V.'. Ill.'. Cyrus O. Hubbell. V.'. Ill.'. Charles F. Beck. 

V.'. Ill.'. Major W. Bayliss. V.'. Ill.'. James M. Turner. 


October, 1887. 



SUBORDINATE BODIES 


Grand Consistory of the State of West Virginia. 
Grand Consistory of the State of New York. 
Grand Consistory of the State of Virginia. 


Subordinate Consistories, 

To each of which is attached a Chapter of Rose Croix, Council of Princes of 
Jerusalem, and Lodge of Perfection. 


Cerneau, No. i, 


Utica, 

“ 2, 


Pensacola, 

“ 3, 


Temple, 

“ 4, 


Boston, 

“ 5, 


Richmond, 

“ 6, 


Washington, 

“ 7, 


F REDERICKSBURGH, 

“ 8, 


Baltimore 

“ 9, 


Knoxville, 

“ IO, 


De Wit Clinton, 

“ ii, 


Lake Ontario, 

“ 12, 


Wilmington, 

“ 13, 


Kanawha, 

“ 14, 


Monroe, 

“ 15, 


Wheeling, 

“ 16, 


Grafton, 

“ 17, 


Cumberland, 

“ iS, 


La Fayette, 

“ J 9, 


Frederick, 

“ 20, 


Berkley, 

“ 21, 


Huntington, 

“ 22, 


Binghamton, 

“ 23, 


Brooklyn, 

“ 24, 


Alleghany, 

“ 25, 


Shenandoah, 

“ 26, 


Veritas, 

“ 27, 


Gustave Brown, 

“ 28, 


New River, 

“ 29, 


Kenton, 

“ 30, 


Chenango, 

“ 3D 


Great Bend, 

“ 32, 


Scranton, 

“ 33, 


Dunkirk, 

“ 34, 


Frankfort, 

“ 35, 


Oriental, 

“ 36, 


Hutchinson, 

“ 37, 


Lexington, 

“ 38, 


Newport News, 

“ 39, 


Horn ell. 

“ 40, 

• 


New York. N. Y. 

Utica, N. Y. 

Pensacola. Fla. 

Albany, N. Y. 

Boston, Mass. 
Richmond, Va. 
Washington, D C. 
Fredericksburgh, Va. 
Baltimore, Md. 
Knoxville, Tenn. 
Middletown, N. Y. 
Oswego, N. Y. 
Wilmington. Del. 
Charleston, W. Va. 
Alderson, W. Va. 
Wheeling. W. Va. 
Grafton, W Va. 
Cumberland, Md. 

Point Pleasant, W. Va. 
Frederick. Md. 
Martinsburg W. Va. 
Huntington, W. Va. 
Binghamton, N. Y. 
Brooklyn. N. Y. 

Clifton Forge, Va. 
Staunton, Va. 
Louisville. Ky. 
Charlestown, W. Va. 
Fayetteville, W. Va. 
Covington, Ky. 
Norwich, N. Y. 

Great Bend, Pa. 
Scranton, Pa. 

Dunkirk, N. Y. 
Frankfort, Ky. 

Kansas City, Mo. 
Hutchinson, Kans. 
Lexington, Ky. 
Newport News. Va. 
Hornellsville, N. Y. 











ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE 
OF FREEMASONRY. 


The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite is simply an amplification of the Rite of 
Perfection as practiced in the Ancient Council of the Emperors of the East and 
West. It then had but twenty-five degrees, as follows : Entered Apprentice, Fellow 
Craft, Master Mason, Secret Master, Perfect Master, Intimate Secretary, Intendent 
of the Building, Provost and Judge, Elect of Nine, Elect of Fifteen, Ill. Chief of 
Twelve Tribes, Grand Master Architect, Royal Arch, Grand Elect Senior Perfect 
Mason, Knight of the Sword, Prince of Jerusalem, Knight of the East and West, 
Knight of the Rose Croix, Grand Pontiff, Grand Patriarch, Grand Master Key of 
Masonry, Prince of Libanus, Sovereign Prince Adept, Chief of the Grand Consistory, 
Ill. Knight Commander of the White and Black Eagle and Most Ill. Sovereign 
Prince of Masonry, Grand Knight Sublime Commander of the Royal Secret. 

The Council of Emperors of the East and West was organized at Paris in the 
year 1758. It was formed from the ruins of the Chapter of Clermont, founded in 
1754 by the Chevalier De Bonneville. On the 27th day of August, 1761, the Council 
of Emperors of the East and West appointed Stephen Morin as Grand Inspector, 
and commissioned him to establish the Perfect and Sublime Masonry in all parts of 
the new^ world. The Council of Emperors of the East and West had its Chamber in 
the old Grand Lodge of France, and both the Grand Lodge and the Council were 
under the direction of the same Grand Master, Count De Clermont, Prince of the 
Royal blood. And here it must be stated that both the Officers of the Council of 
Emperors of the East and West and the Grand Lodge of France signed the patent 
of Stephen Morin, as is shown by all historians. On the 17th day of August, 1766, 
the Grand Lodge of France adopted the following : 

“ Resolved , That considering the carelessness, and the various alterations intro¬ 
duced in the Royal Art by Wor. Bro. Morin, her late Inspector, the Worshipful Grand 
Lodge annuls the brief of Inspector granted to said Bro. Morin, and deems it proper, 
for the good of the Royal Art, to cause him to be replaced by Wor. Bro. Martin, 
Master of the St. Frederick Lodge, and that his letters of constitution for America be 
ratified.” 

On the 26th day of July, 1772, the Council of Emperors of the East and West 
united with the Grand Lodge of France (in which body it had always had its cham¬ 
ber), and they thus became one body, controlling the Rite of Perfection. This Grand 
Lodge, and all other Masonic authorities in France, merged with the Grand Orient of 
France by treaty in 1786 (renewed in 1799), relinquishing all their powers to the latter 
body. Thus it will be perceived that the Grand Orient of France gathered into its 
hands all the powers of the several authorities, and became the sole possessor and 
the immediate and legitimate successor to the founders of the Rite of Perfection, of 
the Consistory of Princes of the Royal Secret, and of all the Scottish system, Ancient 



6 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


and Accepted, which was practiced, not only in the Council of Emperors of the 
East and West, but also in the Scotch Consistory of Bordeaux, known under the title 
of “ Sublime Scotch Mother Lodge.” 

Joseph Cerneau was born in France in the year 1765, and was the son of a rector 
of schools. After emigrating to St. Domingo, he became the venerable Master of 
the respectable Lodge “ La Reunion Desiree,” at Port au Prince, St. Domingo. He 
was invested with the high degrees by Bro. Martin (the successor of Bro. Morin), 
and appointed a Deputy Grand Inspector, with power to confer the degrees and 
establish bodies. While in St. Domingo, by virtue of his delegated powers, he in- 
vested Bro. Germain Hacquett, who was at one time Master of the Lodge “ La Re¬ 
union Desiree,” with the high degrees and granted him a patent with the same rank 
he himself then held. 

Bros. Cerneau and Hacquett, in the year 1791, were compelled to leave St. 
Domingo in consequence of the negro insurrection which broke out in the island 
about that time. In 1801 these illustrious brothers returned to St. Domingo and 
established a Supreme Council there. Towards the close of the succeeding year the 
labors of this Council were brought to an abrupt termination, by reason of the blacks 
again revolting, and Bros. Cerneau and Hacquett were again obliged to leave the 
country. Bro. Cerneau traveled over the Spanish Antilles and the United States, and 
finally about the year 1806 fixed his residence in the city of New York. Bro. Hac¬ 
quett went to the island of St. Thomas and finally returned to France, where he was 
subsequently elected to the office of President of the Chamber of Rites in the Grand 
Orient of France. On the 27th day of October, 1807, Joseph Cerneau founded and 
established the Sovereign Grand Consistory and Supreme Council of the 33d and 
last degree of the Ancient Scottish Rite of Heredom in the city of New York. The 
following brethren were selected as officers of the new body : 

The Hon. De Witt Clinton, Governor of the State of New York and Grand Master 
of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. 

The Hon. John W. Mulligan, Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the 
State of New York, afterwards Consul to Greece under the Presidency of Mr. 
Polk. 

The Hon. Cadwallader D. Colden, Mayor of the city of New York and Senior Grand 
Warden of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. 

The Hon. Martin Hoffman, subsequently Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the 
State of New York. 

Wor. Bro. Jonathan Schieffelin, and others. 


As soon as the requisite number of brethren were obtained, and the organization 
completed, a formal application was made to the Grand Orient and Supreme Council 
of France for recognition and acknowledgment. This applfcation, with the proper^ 
documents, was forwarded to France in the autumn of the year 1809, and reached its 
destination about February 10, 1810. The means of communication, in those days, 
were not as prompt as at the present time. The deliberations were not hurried ; 
nevertheless, on the nth of February, 1813, the application was approved and con¬ 
firmed in the Supreme Council at Paris, and forwarded to New York, together with 
all the necessary documents. The recognition of the Grand Orient, together with 
requisite documents, did not reach New York until the year 1816. It was a full 
acknowledgment of the Sovereign Grand Consistory and Supreme Council for the 
United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies, authorizing these bodies to 
take their place among the sister bodies of the two hemispheres, dating the organiza¬ 
tion, as they were authorized to do, October 27, 1807. Bro. Cerneau also conferred the 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


7 


degrees of Knighthood. All the Orders known as Knights Templar, Knights of the 
Red Cross, and Knights of Malta, in New York at that time, and as conferred at the 
present day, were initiated and perpetuated by Cerneau. The first Encampment 
formed was known as the Old Encampment, followed by Jerusalem Encampment and 
Columbian Encampment, chartered between 1811 and 1813. 

The Sovereign Grand Consistory, at its session on the 22d day of January, 1814, 
decreed by a unanimous vote the establishment of a Grand Encampment of Knights 
Templar and Appendant Orders for the State of New York, and immediately pro¬ 
ceeded to its formation by choosing the Grand Officers thereof, taken (for this time 
only) from among its own members, as follows : De Witt Clinton, Grand Master ; 
Martin Hoffman, Grand Generalissimo ; John W. Mulligan, Senior Grand Warden ; 
James B. Durand, Junior Grand Warden ; Elias Hicks, Grand Orator. 

As soon as the organization was perfected, the three Encampments mentioned ap¬ 
plied for and received their warrants from the Grand Encampment of the State,— 
Columbian being numbered as first in the Order. Bro. Cerneau also conferred the 
degrees of Royal and Select Master, and by him the first council of Royal Masters was 
formed in the State of New York. 

The above facts are mentioned only for the purpose of calling the attention of the 
reader to the inconsistency of those brethren who, while bitterly denouncing the 
Cerneau body, accept the degrees of Royal and Select Master and the orders of the 
Commandery, which emanated from the same power and were established by the 
same authority. The former they call clandestine and irregular, but the latter are 
perfectly legitimate ! The Sovereign Grand Consistory continued to flourish and re¬ 
ceive into its ranks the most prominent Masons in the State of New York. 

After the recognition and other documents had been received from the Supreme 
Council and Grand Orient of France the name of “Supreme Council ” Sovereign 
Grand Inspectors General 33® was first used. In 1824 the Marquis de La Fayette 
arrived in the city of New York. Shortly after his arrival he was exalted in Jerusa¬ 
lem Chapter, No. 8, R.A.M., and received the orders of Knighthood in Morton En¬ 
campment, No. 4. He then received the degrees of A.\ A.’. S.\ Rite in the Sove¬ 
reign Grand Consistory, and was created A.\S.\G. \I.\G.\ 33d and last degree. In 
1825, the then Sovereign Grand Commander, De Witt Clinton, resigned, and the 
Marquis de La Fayette was made Sovereign Grand Commander, which position ne 
held until he returned to France, when De Witt Clinton was again made Sovereign 
Grand Commander. La Fayette was appointed representative of the Supreme Coun¬ 
cil of the United States near the Supreme Council, and Grand Orient of France, and 
was promptly acknowledged and received as such by those bodies. The Supreme 
Council met with great success and continued to prosper until the year 1827, when the 
great anti-Masonic storm, sweeping like a whirlwind throughout the State of New 
York, destroyed almost every Masonic body within its limits. The Sovereign Grand 
Commander DeWitt Clinton died in the year 1828, and Bro. Elias Hicks, Lieut. Com¬ 
mander, was made Sovereign Grand Commander ; but, in common with other Masonic 
bodies, the Supreme Council had to succumb to the storm of anti-Masonry and dis¬ 
continued its meetings. In the year 1832 there arrived in the city of New York the 
Count de St. Laurent, a member of the Supreme Council of France and Grand Com¬ 
mander (ad vitam) of the Supreme Council 33°, for Terra Firma, New Spain, South 
America, Porto Rico, Canary Islands, etc. He found the old Council sleeping, in con¬ 
sequence of political and Masonic troubles, and he at once attempted to resuscitate it. 
He searched around for the old surviving members, and finally succeeded in reorganiz¬ 
ing the body with Ill. Bro. Elias Hicks as Sovereign Grand Commander. They 
changed the name of the body and called it “ United Supreme Council.” This Council 




8 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


was at. once acknowledged by the Supreme Councils of France, Belgium, Rio Janeiro, 
New Granada, Consistories at Cuba, Trinidad, Venezuela, and by the Deputy In¬ 
spectors General at the different locations where they had been appointed and were in 
the exercise of their functions. The United Supreme Council prospered for a time, 
but owing to the continued anti-Mason excitement and other causes began to decline, 
and about the year 1838 the regular meetings, except the annual meeting, had ceased 
from insufficiency of members and lack of interest in the cause. From this period 
until 1846 the meetings of the Supreme Council were annual. In October, 1846, the 
active, members of the Supreme Council consisted of only four members. 

But there were many Honorary Members, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, 
who, not approving of some of the acts of the United Supreme Council, had re¬ 
frained from actively co-operating with it. Several of these now stepped in, revived 
and reorganized the Supreme Council with the following officers: 

t Henry C. Atwood, Sovereign Grand Commander 
John W. Timpson, Deputy Grand Commander. 

John W. Simons, Lieut. Grand Commander. 

Edmund B. Hays, Minister of State. 

Daniel Sickles, Grand Sec. Gen. H. E. 

Geo. E. Marshall, Grand Treasurer Gen. 

Thomas Hyatt, Grand Keeper of the Seals. 

A. Colo. Velone, Grand Master of Ceremonies. 

David Cochrane, Grand Captain of the Guard. 

This council was again reorganized in 1851, Henry C. Atwood having resigned, 
when Ill. Jeremy L. Cross was made Sovereign Grand Commander. In 1852 Bro. 
Cross, in consequence of ill health, resigned, and Bro. Henry C. Atwood was again 
made Sovereign Grand Commander, which position he continued to hold until his 
death, which occurred in i860. After the death of Bro. Atwood, the Ill. Bro. Ed- 
mun'd B. Hays was elected Sovereign Grand Commander. At a meeting of the 
Supreme Council, held September 18, 1861, the Ill. Grand Master General of Cere¬ 
monies, Harry J. Seymour, introduced M. P. Past Sovereign Grand Commander, Ill. 
John W. Mulligan, the successor of Ill. Joseph Cerneau and the predecessor of 
Ill. De Witt Clinton. Ill. Bro. Mulligan was received in due form and with the 
honors due his exalted rank, and seated in the Orient on the right of the throne. 
Before the close of the meeting Ill. Bro. Mulligan, who was then in the ninety-fourth 
year of his age, addressed the Supreme Council at some length and in the most happy 
strain. In the year 1862, Ill. Harry J. Seymour, Grand Master General of Cere¬ 
monies of the Supreme Council, visited Europe on behalf of 4 he Supreme Council, and 
while in France transacted some important business in its interest, as the following 
will show : 

T.\ T.\ G.\ 0 .\ T.\ G.\ A.-. O.-. T.\ U.\ 

DEUS MEUMQUE JUS. 

By the authority in me vested, as Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Grand 
Master General of Ceremonies of the Supreme Council U. S. A., I do, by virtue of 
the patent with which I am invested, appoint the very Illustrious Brother Baron A. 
Hugo de Bulow, Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33 0 , as Representative of the 
Supreme Council of the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies 
(of which the Ill. Edmund B. Hays is now the most Puissant Sovereign Grand Com¬ 
mander), to the Supreme Council of France 33 0 , Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, 
subject to the ratification of the Supreme Council, U. S. A. 

Witness my official signature, 

Harry J. Seymour, 33 0 
S.*. G.\ I.*. G.•. Gr.*. Mas.” Gen.’, of Cer.\ 

Paris, Sept. 1, 1862. 




Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


9 


T.\ T.*. G.\ O.-. T.\ G.\ A.*. O. - . T.\ U.\ 

DEUS MEUMQUE JUS. 

By the authority in me vested, as Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Grand 
Master General of Ceremonies of the Supreme Council U. S. A., I do, by virtue of 
the patent with which I am invested, appoint the very Illustrious Brother, Armand 
Felix Heullant, 33 0 , Grand Master Adjoint of the Grand Orient of France, Repre¬ 
sentative of the Supreme Council of the United States of America, its Territories and 
Dependencies (of which the Ill. Edmund B. Hays is now the most Puissant Sove¬ 
reign Grand Commander), to the Supreme Council of the Grand Orient of France 
and the French possessions, subject to the ratification of the Supreme Council of 
the U. S. A. 

Witness my official signature, 

Harry J. Seymour, 33 0 
S.\ G.“ I.*. G.\ Gr.\ Mas. - . Gen. - , of Cer. 

Done at the office of the Grand Orient, No. 16 rue Cadet-Valley of Paris, Sept. 
16, 1862. 


At a meeting of the Supreme Council, U. S. A., held September 29, 1862, the 
proceedings of Ill. Bro. Seymour were fully confirmed, and the patents of Ill. Bros. 
Baron A. Hugo de Bulow and Armand Felix Heullant, constituting them Represen¬ 
tatives of the Supreme Council U. S. A. near the Supreme Council and Grand Orient 
of France, were signed in full council and transmitted to their proper destinations; and 
at the same time the patents of Ill. Bros. Robert D. Holmes and John J. Crane ap¬ 
pointing them Representatives of the Supreme Council and Grand Orient of France, 
near the Supreme Council U. S. A., were accepted, confirmed, and delivered. 

We have now brought the history of the Cerneau Supreme Council down to the year 
1862, a most important era in the history of this body ; and in order that the reader 
may thoroughly understand the events which occurred about this period, we shall 
have to go back and take up the history of the rival bodies, the so-called Southern 
and Northern jurisdictions. The reader will remember that in 1761 the Council of 
Emperors of the East and West commissioned Bro. Stephen Morin, and authorized 
him to establish the Rite of Perfection in all parts of the new world. He was not 
empowered to confer any degree except those inscribed on his patent, which were 
twenty-five in number, and called the “ Rite of Perfection.” The arrangement, 
title, and order of these degrees were never legally changed until 1804, when a new 
rite was framed from them and other cumulated degrees, by the Grand Orient of 
France, which had obtained control of all the Masonic degrees practiced in France. 

In 1761, Stephen Morin set sail for St. Domingo, where he remained until 1766; 
during this time he commenced the propagation of his Masonic work in the Rite of 
Perfection. He vended the degrees to passing travelers and adventurers, and at¬ 
tempted to disguise the origin of the rite, and to give it more importance than it 
really had, and extemporized the law, which he arranged to suit his own purposes. 
A prominent writer on this subject says: “The Council of Emperors never im¬ 
agined that he was such an audacious juggler, or that he would take possession of 
the rite to make a profit out of it; they never dreamed that he would make it an 
article of traffic, or that he would remodel the degrees, make new ones,” etc. In con¬ 
sequence of this abuse of the power conferred upon him, the commission of Stephen 
Morin was revoked on the 17th day of August, 1766, and Wor. Bro. Martin appointed 
to supersede him. Notwithstanding the annulling of his patent he continued to confer 
these degrees and to appoint Inspectors, authorizing them also to confer the same de¬ 
grees. Shortly after this we hear of him in Kingston, Jamaica (his first visit there), 
where he conferred the degrees upon one Francken, and created him a Deputy Grand 
Inspector General. History is silent upon what follows in Morin’s course until 1802, 
when a document was issued by a so-called Supreme Council in Charleston, South 



io Ancietit Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . 

Carolina, assuming to descend from and to succeed Stephin Morin, and to have or¬ 
ganized itself May 31, 1801. This document takes up the thread in Morin’s history 
which appeared to be lost, accounting for the manner in which the exalted degrees 
found their way into this country. It is one of the most remarkable papers to be 
met with, by reason of the barefaced impositions and falsehoods which it contains, 
and the doctrines which it inculcates. By this document we learn of the institution 
of an entire new rite in 1801, displacing and superseding all known rites which 
preceded it, and denouncing all who presumed to gainsay any of its statements. The 
members of this new council claimed to be Sovereigns in Masonry, and to have su¬ 
preme control of all of the degrees, including the first three, Entered Apprentice, 
Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. The most glaring falsehood of the many contained 
in this document is the following : “ On the first of May, 5786, the Grand Constitu¬ 

tions of the Thirty-third Degree, called the Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand In¬ 
spectors General, was finally ratified by his Majesty the King of Prussia, who, as 
Grand Commander of the Order of Princes of the Royal Secret, possessed the Sov¬ 
ereign Masonic power over all the craft. In the new Constitution this high power 
was conferred on a Supreme Council of nine Brethren in each Nation, who possessed 
all the Masonic' prerogatives in their own district that his Majesty individually pos¬ 
sessed, and are Sovereigns of Masonry.” The authorship of this precious document, 
as far as writing is concerned, has been attributed to Dr. Dalcho, and there is 
little doubt that when he wrote it and put it forth to the world he candidly believed 
much that it contained. But it is pleasing to state that at a later period of his life 
he became another man in feeling, and publicly renounced the whole matter, taking 
every proper occasion to undo, if possible, an act which had misled so many and was 
productive of so much evil. 

It is not deemed necessary, at this late date, to present to the reader all the evi¬ 
dence which proves so conclusively the falsity and the folly of the pretensions made 
in this memorable document relative to Frederick the Great, the following being 
deemed sufficient. A prominent historian says “that from the year 1744 until his 
death Frederick in no wise concerned himself about Masonry. That on the first of 
May, 1786, he was dying, and absolutely incapable of attending to any business what¬ 
ever and furthermore, he was the declared enemy of the High Degrees.” The docu¬ 
ment alluded to above also contains the following : “ On the second day of August, 

5795 ) Bro. Colonel John Mitchel, late Deputy Quartermaster General in the armies of 
the United States, was made a Deputy Inspector General for this State (South Caro¬ 
lina) by Bro. Spitzer.” It may be proper to state here that Bro. Spitzer received his 
degrees from M. M. Hays, who had received them from Francken in the Island of 
Jamaica, Francken having received his at the same place from Stephen Morin, after 
his patent had bee 7 i revoked. The document further states that “on the 31st day of 
May, 5801, the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree, for the United States of 
America, was opened with the high honors of Masonry, by Bros. John Mitchel and 
Frederick Dalcho, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General ; and in the course of the 
present year the whole number of Grand Inspectors General was completed agreeably 
to the'Grand Constitutions.” This was the origin of the so-called Supreme Council 
of Charleston, now known as the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction of 
the United States of America, and at the present time presided over by Bro. Albert 
Pike, who said in his allocution delivered before his Supreme Council in 1878, “ I do 
not know when I was elected a member, or when Grand Commander ;” and who 
also said, “There is nothing to show what the Supreme Council did from its birth 
until i860.” By this latter assertion Bro. Pike is supposed to insinuate that all the 
old records, etc., were lost during the war. It is a singular fact, however, that Bro. 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


11 

Albert G. Mackay, who was Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of the State of 
South Carolina, was also Grand Secretary of the Supreme Council, and while he care¬ 
fully preserved all of the records, etc., of the former body, mysteriously lost those of 
the latter. From such confessions as the above, is there not good reason to believe 
that this illegitimate Council ceased to exist, and that Albert Pike and others, in i860, 
without any but self-constituted authority, pretended to revive it ? But Pike claims, 
without any evidence to support his assertions, that it has had a continued existence 
from 1801 to the present time. t 

Near the close of the year 1803 Ill. Bro. Germain Hacquett arrived in New York 
from St. Thomas, and shortly after sailed for France, reaching Paris in the early part 
of 1804. Bro. Hacquett, having taken back the degrees of the Rite of Perfection in 
their pure and unadulterated state, as he received them from Bro. Cerneau, was re¬ 
ceived with heartfelt and grateful thanks by the Grand Orient, and elevated to high 
rank therein. Three months after the arrival of Bro. Hacquett, the Count de Grasse 
Tilley reached Paris, bearing with him a patent as Grand Inspector General, Thirty- 
third Degree, which had been granted to him at Charleston, South Carolina. This 
patent was dated February 21st, 1802, and was signed only by John Mitchel and Fred¬ 
erick Dalcho. The Count, although his patent did not authorize him so to do, im¬ 
mediately organized and established a Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree 
for France, at Paris. The Grand Orient, when it saw this attempt to establish a rival, 
at once claimed that the rite was not a new one, but that these degrees had always 
been in possession of the Grand Orient; that most of them had been given to Morin 
in 1761, and had been brought back in their original state by the hands of Germain 
Hacquett in 1803. The Grand Orient at once resuscitated all of the degrees and 
established a Chamber of Rites, and at once communicated the accumulated degrees 
to its subordinate bodies, and to the lawfully appointed Inspectors throughout the 
world. This caused considerable trouble between the Grand Orient of France and 
the Supreme Council of De Grasse, which was finally settled by the recognition of 
this Supreme Council by the Grand Orient, so far as having the right to administer 
its own degrees, but no other, concurrently with the Grand Orient. In other words, 
the Supreme Council was tolerated by the Grand Orient, and allowed to confer the 
Ancient Accepted Rite, provided it did not interfere with the Grand Orient in doing 
precisely the same thing. 

We think we have now proven conclusively that the Grand Orient of France, and not 

# 

the so-called Supreme Council at Charleston, was the lawful custodian of the degrees 
of Scottish Rite Masonry. Up to the year 1813 there was no other body known in 
New York as controlling the degrees of Scottish Rite, except the Sovereign Grand 
Consistory and Supreme Grand Council presided over by Joseph Cerneau. In the 
month of May or June in the year 1813, Emanuel De La Motta came from Charleston, 
S. C., to the city of New York. This gentleman claimed to be a Sovereign Grand 
Inspector General 33 0 and Grand Treasurer General of the Supreme Council at 
Charleston. He at once began to confer his degrees and to create Grand Inspectors 
General. Notwithstanding the fact that there then existed in New York a lawfully con¬ 
stituted Supreme Council and Sovereign Grand Consistory under the command of 
Bro. Cerneau, a body which had just received the acknowledgment of the Supreme 
Council of France, notwithstanding the fact that the so-called secret constitutions of 
Frederick the Great, by which De La Motta’s pretended council at Charleston was 
supposed to be governed, declared “ that there should be but one Supreme Council in 
each nation,” this De La Motta had the audacity to organize and establish a body 
which was named the “ Supreme Council Sovereign Grand Inspectors General 33 0 for 
the Northren Jurisdiction, U. S. A.” This Council seems to have been composed of 


12 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . 


the following gentlemen : Daniel D. Tompkins (who permitted the use of his name, 
but took no part in the proceedings, on account of his political animosity against Gov. \ 
De Witt Clinton), Sampson Simson, John Gabriel Tardy, John James Joseph Gour- 
gas, Moses Levy Peixotte, and Richard Riker. Their Council had but a sickly exist¬ 
ence, was barely known, initiated but few members, and in about five years died a 
natural death, most of the members having joined the Cerneau body. No doubt one 
of the principal causes of its short-lived existence was the fact of its assumption of 
power to control the three symbolic degrees. De La Motta, in his replication, makes 
the following claim : “Although Sublime Masons have not, in this country, initiated 
into the blue or symbolic degrees, yet their councils possess the indefensible right of 
granting warrants for that purpose. It is common on the Continent of Europe, 
and may be the case here, should circumstances render the exercise of that power 
necessary.” 

This doctrine, proclaimed by the founder of the Council, was being acted upon by 
this new body, and called forth all the energies of the Grand Lodge of the State of 
New York to suppress it. The Sovereign Grand Consistory of Cerneau had already 
renounced any such claim over the symbolic degrees, and the Grand Lodge of the 
State was in harmony with that body. 

The very decided measures which these two bodies made use of towards the De 
La Motta Council completely overturned it, and the body was brought to an end 
about the year 1818. Nothing more was heard of this Council until about the year 
1827, when John James Joseph Gourgas, assuming to be (there was no one but him¬ 
self) the Supreme Council of America, managed to deceive the Grand .Orient of 
France, and secured the acknowledgment of that body. This success, however, was 
only temporary, for both the Grand Orient and Supreme Council of France discovered 
the error and corrected it in 1832. We hear no more of Mr. Gourgas or his Council 
until June 1, 1848, when he claimed to have resuscitated the De La Motta Council 
and issued an edict containing the following names as members of the Supreme 
Couhcil : J. J. J. Gourgas, Giles Fonda Yates, Edward A. Raymond, Killian H. Van 
Rensselaer, John Christie, Charles W. Moore, and Archibald Bull. This Council 
established its East in the city of New York, and claimed Masonic jurisdiction over 
all the northern, northwestern, and northeastern parts of the United States of America. 
This body continued its East in New York until the year 1851, during which period 
but little was effected in the way of building it up. 

In 1851 the seat of the Supreme Council was removed to the city of Boston, and 
Gourgas resigned the position of Sovereign Grand Commander into the hands of Giles 
Fonda Yates, who immediately resigned in favor of Edward A. Raymond. There had 
not up to that time been formed a single Consistory in any of the States of its juris¬ 
diction. The work of this Council, known afterwards as the Gourgas-Raymond 
Council, proceeded harmoniously until August 24, i860, when at a meeting of the 
Supreme Council, without apparent cause, the Sovereign Grand Commander, Edward 
A. Raymond, abruptly closed the Council, in the midst of its proceedings, sine die , 
and immediately retired from the room. Most of the members of the Council re¬ 
mained, and, after consulting with Gourgas, met at the same place the next morning 
at 9 o’clock, and, declaring that the Sovereign Grand Commander had acted in an 
unconstitutional manner, placed the Deputy Grand Commander, Killian Van Rens¬ 
selaer, in the chair, and he declared the Council open for the dispatch of business. An 
election then took place with the following result : Killian Van Rensselaer, Lieut. 
Grand Commander; C. R. Starkweather, Grand Minister of State ; John Christie, 
Grand Master of Ceremonies; Archibald Bull, Grand Marshal; and W. B. Hubbard, 
Grand Standard Bearer. At their annual meeting in May, 1862, Killian Van Rens- 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


13 


selaer was elected Sovereign Grand Commander in place of Edward A. Raymond 
whom they expelled ; Josiah H. Drummond was elected Lieut. Grand Commander, 
and Benjamin Dean, Grand Captain of the Guard. 

As soon as Bro. Raymond learned of the proceedings of the Van Rensselaer party, 
he, assuming, according to the pretended constitutions of 1786, that full power cen¬ 
tered in himself, at once began to fill the offices made vacant by the action of those 
who sympathized with Van Rensselaer. In the published proceedings of the annual 
session of May 21, 1861, we find the following names as present at the opening of the 
body : Edward A. Raymond, Sov. Gd. Commander; Simon W. Robinson, Lieut. 
Gd. Commander and Gd. Treasurer; Peter Lawson, Gd. Master of Ceremonies; 
Rev. Geo. M. Randall, Gd. Min. of State ; Lucius R. Paige, Gd. Marshal; and Wm. 
Field, Gd. Capt. of the Guard. Before the session closed Peter Lawson was made 
Gd. Treasurer, Lucius R. Paige, Gd. Sec. Gen., and Charles T. McClenachen Gd. 
Master of Ceremonies. In the month of January, 1862, this Council expelled Killian 
Van Rensselaer and Charles W. Moore, and so they continued until each Council had 
expelled each individual member of the other Council. 

We have now brought this history of Scottish Rite Masonry, and of the different 
so-called Councils of the Rite in the United States, down to the year 1862. The 
reader will remember that at that time there existed in the United States four Su¬ 
preme bodies ; one at Charleston, presided over by Albert Pike, claiming control of 
the degrees for the Southern jurisdiction and asserting its legal descent from the 
Council formed by John Mitchel and Frederick Dalcho at Charleston, in 1801, and 
also claiming to be the mother council of the world. The Van Rensselaer Council, 
presided over by Killian Van Rensselaer, assuming control of the degrees for the 
Northern jurisdiction, and claiming legal descent from the De La Motta Council, 
organized in New York in 1813. The Raymond Council, presided over by Edward 
A. Raymond, making the same claims as the above council and denouncing the Van 
Rensselaer party as spurious and illegitimate ; and the Supreme Council Sovereign 
Grand Inspectors General 33 0 and last degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite 
for the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies, presided over by 
the Ill. Edmund Burke Hays, and claiming legal descent from the Sovereign Grand 
Consistory and Supreme Council organized by Ill. Joseph Cerneau in the city of New 
York in the year 1807, which claim the Grand Orient and Supreme Council of France, 
in the latter part of the year 1862, again acknowledged and confirmed by exchanging 
Grand Representatives. The Cerneau Supreme Council under the command of Bro. 
Hays continued to prosper, and in 1863 held a position in the Masonic Fraternity, of 
which its least enthusiastic supporter could not help but be proud. 

It was recognized and acknowledged, both at home and abroad, as the only legal 
authority in the United States over the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish 
Rite. Its rivals in the North, both the Van Rensselaer and Raymond Councils, made 
overtures and sought to unite with it. The application of the former body was 
received with scorn and contempt; subsequent events proved that it would have been 
much better for the Cerneau body had it treated the application of the latter in the 
same way ; but for reasons which, at this late day, cannot be easily understood, the 
leaders of the Cerneau Council seem to have been more lenient towards the Raymond 
party. 

At a meeting of the Supreme Council, held Jan. 19, 1863, the Committee on con¬ 
dition of the A. A. Rite made the following report: 

“ That the party known as the Raymond body, of Boston, have lately proposed, 
in their individual capacities and by official resolution, suggestions looking to the 
merging in and association with this Supreme Council, bringing with them documents, 


I 


14 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


properties, and everything appertaining to their organization. Your Committee on In¬ 
vitation met these gentlemen in social and friendly converse on these important sub¬ 
jects, and were treated in the most cordial and hospitable manner, and have arrived 
at the conclusion that the best interests of the Supreme Council would be subserved 
by an immediate solution of the matters in question, which shall be alike just to the 
original authority of this Supreme Council, and the dignity of the gentlemen with 
whom the conference has been had. Your Committee, therefore, recommend that 
they, or some other committee, be empowered to act in the premises. All of which 
is respectfully submitted, 


Edmund B. Hays, 
Daniel Sickles, 


Committee. 


On motion this report was received and the recommendation adopted, and Ill. 
Henry C. Banks added to the Committee. At a meeting of the Supreme Council, 
held April 15, 1863, this Committee reported that they had conferred with the body 
before mentioned and had agreed upon the following 


ARTICLES OF CONSOLIDATION, 

Adopted and consummated by and between the Supreme Council, 33^and Last Degree, 
for the Northern jurisdiction of the United States, sitting at Boston, for the one 
part, and the Supreme Council, 33^ and Last Degree Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite 
for the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies, sitting at New 
York, for the other part. 

Whereas, The said parties, in their individual and sovereign capacities, being 
mutually desirious of advancing the interests of Masonry within the jurisdiction and 
wishing to consolidate the authorities therein under one governing head, have clothed 
their representatives with full and perfect powers to that end, who, in the name of 
said parties, have agreed, consented, provided, and ordained, and do by these presents 
agree, consent, provide, and ordain, as follows : 

1st. The said Supreme Councils are, by virtue hereof, consolidated under the name 
of the Supreme Grand Council 33 d and Last Degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish 
Rite for the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies, sitting at 
New York. 

2d. Illustrious Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, heretofore created by either 
of the parties hereto, shall be recognized upon taking the oath of fealty to the Supreme 
Council for the United States, etc. 

3d. All subordinate bodies hailing under either of the parties hereto are to be 
duly acknowledged and recognized upon taking the oath of fealty to the said Supreme 
Council for the United States of America, etc., and new warrants may be granted, or 
the existing ones properly indorsed, as the said bodies may elect. . 

4th. All properties, of whatever name, kind, and description, belonging to the 
parties hereto, or either of them, are hereby declared to be vested in the said Supreme 
Council for the United States of America, etc., and will be delivered accordingly to 
the Grand Secretary General thereof. 

5th. Until otherwise ordered, the Constitution and general regulations of the 
second party hereto are hereby adopted and declared in full force for the government 
of the consolidated body herein provided for. 

6th. The number of active members of said Council is hereby increased to seven¬ 
teen (creating eight new offices), and the officers of the said consolidated Council, ad 
vitam , shall be as follows : 


Ill. Edmund B. Hays, M.\ P. •. Sov. \ Gd. \ Commander 
Ill. Edward A. Raymond, Sov.*. Assist. Gd.*. Commander . 

Ill. Simon W. Robinson, First. Lieut. Gd.*. Commander 
Ill. Hopkins Thompson, Second Lieut. Gd.*. Commander 
Ill. Benjamin C. Leveridge, Grand Orator .... 

Ill. George M. Randall, Grand Minister of State . 

Ill. Lucius R. Paige, Grand Chancellor .... 

Ill. Daniel Sickles, Grand Secretary General H. E. 

Ill. Robert E. Roberts, Grand Treasurer General H. E. 

Ill. Aaron P. Hughes, Grand Sword Bearer .... 

Ill. Harry J. Seymour, First Grand Master of Ceremonies . 

Ill. Charles T. McClenachen, Second Grand Master of Ceremonies 
Ill. Peter Lawson, Grand Introductor ..... 

Ill. John Innes, Grand Standard Bearer .... 

Ill. William Field, First Grand Captain of the Guard . 

Ill. William H. Jarvis, Second Grand Captain of the Guard . 


(Cerneau) 

(Raymond) 

(Raymond) 

(Cerneau) 

(Cerneau) 

(Raymond) 

(Raymond) 

(Cerneau) 

(Cerneau) 

(Raymond) 

(Cerneau) 

(Raymond) 

(Raymond) 

(Cerneau) 

(Raymond) 

(Cerneau) 





Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 15 


7th. The emeritus position of Sovereign Assistant Grand Commander is conferred 
on Ill. Edward A. Raymond, in recognition of his long and distinguished services in 
the rite. 

In testimony of all of which, Edward A. Raymond, Geo. M. Randall, and Lucius 
R. Paige, on behalf of said first party, and Edmund B. Hays, Daniel Sickles, and 
•Henry C. Banks, on behalf of said second party, have hereunto set their hands and 
seals interchangeably, for the uses and purposes hereinbefore explained. 

Done at the city of Boston, this seventh day of February, a.d. 1863. 



Edward A. Raymond [l 
George M. Randall [l 
Lucius R. Paige [l. s.] 
Edmund B. Hays [l. s.] 
Daniel Sickles [l. s.] 
Henry C. Banks [l. s.] 


Note. —The foregoing Articles of Consolidation were adopted by the Supreme Council, 
presided over by Edward A. Raymond, at a meeting held in the city of Boston, Feb. 18, 
1863, and after the transaction of some unimportant business. Bro. Raymond declared his 
Council closed sine die." (See page 106 printed proceedings Northern jurisdiction.) 

These articles of consolidation were adopted, and seem to have met the approbation 
of all of the active members of the Cerneau Supreme Council, with the exception of 
Ill. Bro. Benjamin C. Leveridge, who used his best endeavors to persuade the brethren 
from entering into this alliance, and failing in this, he refused to have anything to do 
with the matter, and offered his resignation as Grand Orator. On the evening of 
April 15, 1863, the eight brethren from the Raymond Council were introduced, took 
the oath of fealty, and the M. P. Sov. Gd. Commander, Edmund B. Hays, then in¬ 
stalled the Grand Officers of the Supreme Council. 

This Union Council was in fact a continuation of the Hays-Cerneau Council; 
the Raymond Council was absorbed, its members healed, and the succession of the 
Hays-Cerneau Council continued. The truth of this assertion is fully sustained by 
the following proofs : 

The name “ Supreme Council for the United States of America, its Territories and 
Dependencies” was continued ; thus denying and ignoring the existence of any other 
Supreme Council in the United States. 

The Constitution of the Cerneau body was adopted. 

The Officers, both the Raymond men and the Cerneau, were installed by Bro. 
Hays. No one installed Bro. Hays; it was not necessary; he had been installed when 
he became Sovereign Grand Commander of the Cerneau Council by reason of the 
death of Bro. Atwood in i860. 

The Raymond body, prior to its Union with the Cerneau body, was declared 
closed sine die by its Commander, Bro. Raymond, Feb. 18, 1863 (seepage 106 printed 
proceedings Northern jurisdiction). 

The Cerneau Council did not close sine die, but continued the succession ; the ses- 
sionof April 15, 1863, was adjourned to April i6at 2 o’clock P.M. (see page 154 printed 
proceedings Northern jurisdiction). 

The members of the united Council participated in the transaction of business 
which had reference to proceedings of the Cerneau Council during several years prior 
to the union. At the session of April 16, 1863, the Finance Committee made the fol¬ 
lowing report (see page 158 printed proceedings Northern jurisdiction) : “ That they 
had examined the statement of the M.\ P.\ Sov.-. Gd.-. Commander, and find that 
he has received, from August 21, i860, to Feb. 5, 1862, inclusive, the sum of four 
hundred and ninety-five dollars and eighty-five cents, funds of tjie Supreme Council; 
and disbursed for the use of the same, as per vouchers, during the same time, the sum 


16 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . 


of six hundred and forty-one dollars and thirty-two cents, leaving a balance due him 
of one hundred and forty-five dollars and forty-seven cents.” 

This report was received and adopted ; also, at the session of Sept. 2, 1863 (see 
page 160 printed proceedings Northern jurisdiction), “The Balustres of the sessions 
of the Supreme Grand Council of Jan. 19, April 15 and 16, 1863, were read and ap-* 
proved.” 

Our opponents may claim that the “ Balustre of Jan. 19” refers to a meeting of the 
Raymond body. 

According to the printed proceedings of the Northern jurisdiction (see pages 101 
to 103) the only meetings of the Raymond body held in January, 1863, were on the 
6th and 28th days of the month. From the same source we learn (see page 149) that 
theCerneau Council met at its usual place Jan. 19, 1863. 

Bro. Pike also contributes his evidence to the truth of our assertion. In an ad¬ 
dress to his Supreme Council, 1865, on page 316, he speaks of the union of the two 
Councils as a “ continuation of the Cerneau and St. Laurent Council; on page 324, 
after reiterating his oft-repeated declarations as to the illegitimacy of the Cerneau 
body, he says : “ Nevertheless, the Raymond Supreme Council treats with this ille¬ 
gitimate body as power with power, peer with peer, equal with equal, thus acknowl¬ 
edging it to have a legal and constitutional existence. It, in fact, merges in it, and, 
losing its own identity and former self, is dissolved ; and its individual members be¬ 
come members of the illegitimate body; its Sov.\ Gd.\ Commander sinks into a 
subordinate and mere honorary position,” etc. On page 326 he also says : “They 
(the Raymond men) recognized them (the Cerneau men) as a legal Supreme Council. 
Bro. Raymond and his associates admitted that it (the Hays Council) and its pre¬ 
decessors had always been regular Supreme Councils,” etc. 

There can be no doubt, as we have before stated, that this union Council was a 
continuation of the Hays-Cerneau Council; at the time, it was so considered by the 
Cerneau men and so accepted by the Raymond men. 

In this union of the Raymond body with the Cerneau Council there was matter 
for much rejoicing among the fraternity, as well there might be, on the ground that it 
is always better to be at peace than at war ; that it is far better for brethren to dwell 
together in unity than to cultivate a spirit of discord, which is always productive of 
bitterness, and causes the most degrading animosities. Therefore there seemed to 
be solid ground for rejoicing on all sides. This rejoicing, however, was but short¬ 
lived, and many members of the Cerneau body soon had occasion to bitterly regret 
that they had failed to listen to the advice of Bro. Leveridge. 

In 1865, the Civil War being over, free intercourse with the Southern States was 
resumed, and several members of the united Council, who were formerly members 
of the Raymond body, began to agitate the question of obtaining recognition from the 
so-called Council at Charleston, pretending to believe that Albert Pike and his asso¬ 
ciates would be willing to enter into fraternal relation with a body claiming descent 
from Bro. Cerneau. Finally a committee was appointed and started from New York 
for the purpose of visiting the different members of the Southern Council and ascer¬ 
taining their views relative to this subject. The committee occupied the better part of 
two months and accomplished nothing, but at last they obtained an interview with 
Bro. Pike, with whom the matter was fully discussed. He informed the committee 
that the Raymond body was not deemed regular before the union, and now that it 
had united with the Cerneau Council it was far more objectionable than before, as 
he deemed that Council spurious, illegal, and illegitimate. After mature deliberation, 
Bro. Pike advised the committee to return home, dissolve the union Council, then 
get a Raymond man for Grand Commander, who should form a new Council which 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . 17 


should be known as the Supreme Council for the Northern jurisdiction ; and should 
they act in accordance with this advice, this Northern Supreme Council would be im¬ 
mediately acknowledged by the Supreme Council at Charleston. 

The committee returned to New York and immediately began to act upon the sug¬ 
gestion of Bro. Pike. Their first move was to violate the first of the articles of con¬ 
solidation by changing the name “ Supreme Council for the United States of America, 
its Territories and Dependencies” to that of the “ Supreme Council for the Northern 
Jurisdiction of the United States of America.” The leaders in this proposed move¬ 
ment were at first very careful in their arrangements, and were particular as to whom 
they made known their designs. It is quite certain they would never have succeeded 
in accomplishing their object had it not been for the treachery of some of the Cerneau 
members, who, for reasons best known to themselves, lent their assistance to the con¬ 
spirators. 

It seems, however, that these conspirators soon became more bold in their move¬ 
ments, and were so sanguine of success that they did not even wait to have a reso¬ 
lution regularly pass the Supreme Council, but, assuming that they would be success¬ 
ful in their scheme, presumed, without any authority, to alter the heading of the 
notices, edicts, etc., causing them to read “ Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdic¬ 
tion,” etc., instead of “ Supreme Council for the United States of America,” etc., as 
the following will show : 


“ Office of the Sup.*. Council Sov.\ Gd.\ Ins.*. Gen.*. 33 0 
for the Northern Jurisdiction U.*. S.*. A.*. 

Valley of New York, May 30, 1865. 

III.*. Bro.*. H. J. Seymour, 33 0 : 

The Supreme Council, 33d, having nearly completed the rooms, No. 90 E. 13th 
Street, for the use of the several bodies working in the A. and A. Rite, and as you 
are the first officer in one of said bodies, I am directed by the trustees of the Supreme 
Council to write you on the subject and ascertain your views in regard to your body 
occupying said rooms for its meetings. By sending answer by the bearer of this you 
will confer a great favor on, Yours fraternally, 

Daniel Sickles, 33V 1 

To which the following answer was returned: 

“ 152 Canal Street, New York, June 4, 1865. 

D. Sickles, Esq.*. 

Dear Sir: Yours of the 30th ulto. is received and contents noted. I know of no 
organization in Scottish Masonry hailing from the Northern Jurisdiction, which is 
the caption of your epistle. If it is an error, I trust it will be immediately rectified. 
If, however, this is a concocted plan, whispers of which have lately been hovering in 
the air, consider me diametrically opposed to any amalgamation with spurious bodies, 
unless, as the Raymond-Gourgas Council, they take upon themselves the healing 
O.*. B.*. to the S.\ C.\ U.*. S.\ A.*. Should I act otherwise I should be forsworn, 
and all the Degrees of all the Rites of Masonry (much as I cherish the Order) will not 
induce me to lay perjury on my soul. 

I shall lay your letter before the bodies over which I preside, at the next meeting. 

Yours, 

The G. Mas. Gen. of Ceremonies of the Sup. Council U. S. A., 

Harry J. Seymour, 33 0 .” 

At a meeting of the Supreme Council held Sept, n, 1865 (see p. 200, printed pro¬ 
ceedings Northern jurisdiction), a committee was appointed for the purpose of taking 
into consideration the propriety of “ resuming” the old name “ Supreme Council 
for the Northern Jurisdiction,” etc., in place of the one at present adopted. If this 
Council was a continuation of the Hays-Cerneau Council, which we think we have 
clearly proven, how could it “ resume” a name it never had ? 

Nevertheless, at a meeting of the Supreme Council held on the 22d day of Octo- 


2 


i8 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


ber, 1865 (see pp. 201 and 202, printed proceedings Northern jurisdiction), this 
committee reported favorably, and the report was received and adopted. The printed 
proceedings say, adopted unanimously, and also announce the names of those pres¬ 
ent as follows: 

Edmund B. Hays, 

Daniel Sickles, 

Chas. T. McClenachen, 

John Innis, 

Hopkins Thompson, 

Richard Barker, 

J. H. H. Ward, 

Henry C. Banks. 

Those most intimate with Bro. Hays during the last ten years of his life positive¬ 
ly assert that he was not present at this meeting; had he been, he would certainly 
have opposed the resolution to change the name: there are several living witnesses 
to-day who all testify that Bro. Hays was bitterly opposed to the scheme. Even the 
printed proceedings of the Northern jurisdiction indicate his absence. At the meet¬ 
ing of the Supreme Council, Sept. 11, 1865 (see p. 199, printed proceedings Northern 
jurisdiction), “ Bro. Banks moved to defer the annual address until the adjourned 
meeting.” The adjourned meeting was Oct. 22, 1865. Why, if Bro. Hays was 
present, did he not deliver his annual address? There is no mention made of an 
annual address being delivered at that meeting, although his addresses delivered at 
previous sessions are printed in full. The truth of the matter is, they tried to induce 
Bro. Hays to attend, but failed; and at the subsequent meeting, held Dec. 13, 1865 
(see pp. 202-204), Bro. Daniel Sickles announced that Bro. Hays tendered his 
resignation as Sov. \ Gd. - . Commander. This we most emphatically deny, and 
challenge the so-called Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction to produce 
from its archives the resignation of Bro. Hays. Why should he resign? He was not 
Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the “Northern Jurisdic¬ 
tion,” but of the United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies. How¬ 
ever, the printed proceedings of the Northern jurisdiction claim that there were eight 
members present. At this time the Council was composed of about forty voting 
members, and this very important resolution was decided by eight of them. 

Thus did the Raymond men and their allies violate their Masonic pledges, and the 
sacred contract of April 15, 1S63, was broken, and the union Council dissolved, our 
friends of the Northern jurisdiction say, notwithstanding their own printed record, 
“by unanimous consent of all its members.” Many of the old Cerneau members, as 
soon as they learned of the contemplated treachery of the Raymond men, were very 
emphatic in their expressions of opposition to the scheme, and denounced it on every 
occasion. 

Under the orders of the M.\ P. - . Sov. - . Gd. - . Commander E. B. Hays, the 
Council was called together pursuant to the following notice : 

“T. - . T. - . G.\ O. - . T. - . G. - . A. - . O. - . T.\ U. - . 

ORDO AB CHAO. DEUS MEUMQUE JUS. 

Health, Stability, Power. Fro?n the East of the Supreme Grand Council of 
the M.\ P.\ Sov.’. Gd.’. /ns.’. Gen.’, of the 33^ and Last Degree of the Ancient 
and Accepted Scottish Rite for the United States of America, its Territories 
and Dependencies. Orient of New York, June 12, 1865. 

H. J. Seymour, 33 0- 

Peer and Bro., Sov. - . Gd. - . Ins. - . Gen. - . You are hereby notified that a ses¬ 
sion of the Supreme Grand Council will be held at its Council Chamber, a Sacred 
Asylum, where reigns 



Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 19 


Union, Contentment, Wisdom. 

Notify all members of your Lodge of P.\ Council of P.\, Chapter, and Consistory, 
at 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 23d, at Oddfellows’ Hall. D. Sickles, 33 0 .” 

Accordingly, at the designated time and place the brethren assembled. There were 
present Ill.*. Bros. B. C. Leveridge, Peter W. Nefus, Robt. E. Roberts, Robert D. 
Holmes, Wm. P. Patton, James M. Turner, John Hanna, Chas. C. J. Beck, Nehe- 
miah Peck, Royal G. Millard, Stephen H. Johnston, Provost S. Haines, and Harry 
J. Seymour, who presided in the Orient. 

A letter was read from the M.\ P.\ Sov. \ Gd. \ Commander authorizing Bro. 
Seymour to open the Supreme Grand Council, when it was 

“ Resolved , That, whereas the Supreme Council of the United States of America 
being the only legitimate head of Scottish Masonry in the United States; and 

Whereas , a body calling itself the “ Northern Jurisdiction” had so acknowledged 
the same by a fraternal acceptance of the authority of this Supreme Council by taking 
their individual and collective O. B. to the said Supreme Council for the United 
States; and 

Whereas , certain members of this Supreme Council, preferring a tortuous to a 
straightforward course, for the purpose of extending their business, had impudently 
altered the heading of the notices, edicts, and proclamations emanating from this 
Supreme Council, causing the craft to doubt the existence of this, the Cerneau 
Council; therefore, be it 

Resolved, that we, each and all of us, Sow. and Dep.\ Gd. *. Inspectors General, 
do hereby renounce, and denounce, any attempt to change the name of this Supreme 
Council, or to associate or affiliate in Scottish Rite Masonry with any men, or body 
of men, claiming to be Scottish Rite Masons, unless they take upon themselves the 
healing O. B. to this Supreme Council, as all others in such cases have done before. 
Unanimously adopted. J. Freeman Silke, Sec'y , P. T.” 

Though this meeting of the Supreme Council was called in the regular way by the 
Gd.*. Secretary General upon the order of the Sovereign Grand Commander, not one 
of those who subsequently took part in the efforts to change the name to the “ Nor¬ 
thern Jurisdiction” was present. Even the Grand Secretary who issued the call for 
the meeting was absent. He had been captured by the enemy; and the Raymond 
men, finding that they could not control Commander Hays, determined to ignore his 
edicts. 

Bro. Seymour, as has been shown, being bold in his protests against the efforts to 
change the name of the Supreme Council, and being the presiding officer in some of 
the subordinate bodies and a leading spirit among the brethren, together with the 
fact of his taking part in the meeting above referred to, was selected by the Raymond 
men as a victim, by whose destruction they hoped to effectually crush out the remain¬ 
ing vitality of the Cerneau body. 

Accordingly, charges of unmasonic conduct were preferred against Bro. Seymour 
in this so-called Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction, a body to which he 
did not belong and was always opposed. 

The following is a correct copy of the notice, charge, and specifications received 
by Bro. Seymour, and his reply thereto: 

New York, Oct. 16, 1865. 

FI. J. Seymour, Rose Croix, 33 0 . 

III. Bro.: I am instructed to inform you that the Commission appointed by the 
Sup.*. Council A.*, and A.*. Scottish Rite of Masonry N.*. J.*., to hear and take 
evidence as to charge and specifications made by C. T. McClenachen, Rose Croix, 
33 0 , against you, and your defense thereto, will meet at the Masonic Lyceum, 3d 
story Masonic Hall, 114 and 116 E. 13th Street, on Wednesday next, 18th inst., at 

7 b P - M - 

The charge and specifications are herein transmitted to you. 

Fraternally submitted, 

Chas. T. McClenachen, 

Acting Secretary Gen.’. H. *. E.’. 


20 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


CHARGE. 

A violation of the obligations of the 14th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 32c!, and 33d Degrees 
of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, as set forth in the Rituals of said Degrees, in this: 

Specification i. —That on or about the 15th day of October, 1864, the said 
Henry or Harry J. Seymour stated to John H. Ward, Rose Croix, 33 0 , in the Bowery 
of said city: “That the establishment or rooms being fitted out in 13th Street by 
the Supreme Council, for the benefit of the Supreme Council and for the proper 
working and exemplification of the Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, would 
be a failure, that he hoped they would, and that he should do whatever lay in his 
power to make the matter a failure,” or language to the above effect;—this with intent 
to bring said Supreme Council into disrepute and contempt. 

Specification 2.—That on or about the 28th day of March, 1865, the said Henry 
or Harry J. Seymour stated to Horatio N. Carr, M.\ M.\ of the City of New York: 
“ That the institution or establishment Nos. 114 and 116 E. 13th Street, prepared by 
or being prepared under the supervision of the Supreme G. \ Council, 33 0 , A.*. and. 
A.\ Rite, for its use and for the exemplification of the Degrees of the said Rite, was 
a fraud on the Masonic Order, that it could not and would not succeed, and that the 
bodies professing the A.\ and A.*. Rite meeting in the rooms above designated were 
not legitimate, and were a fraud, and that he could prove it,” or language to the 
above effect. 

Specification 3.—That on or about the 20th day of May, 1865, the said Henry or 
Harry J. Seymour stated to Thomas J. Leigh, Rose Croix, 32d, of the city of New 
York: “ That the bodies of the A.*, and A.*. Rite meeting in 13th Street, at the rooms- 
of the Supreme Council, ‘ Masonic Hall,’ were bogus, a fraud on the Masonic order, 
and illegitimate, that he could prove it, that they (the bodies aforesaid) should be 
voted out and dispersed,” or language to the above effect. 

New York, Sept. 6th, 1865. C. T. McClenachen, 

Rose Croix, 33d. 


RESPONSE. 

“ C. T. McClenachen :— Dear Sir —Yours of the 16th. inst. is received with sor¬ 
row and indignation. Sorrow, to know that any person or persons who have received 
the exalted degrees of Masonry should violate the sacred pledges thereof. Indigna¬ 
tion, to think they would dare to suggest the same tortuous course to an honorable 
man; to conclude, I know of no such organization as the ‘Northern Jurisdiction/ 
For the rest, I refer you to my letter to D. Sickles of May 30th. I am yours, 

Harry J. Seymour, 33 0 , 

Gr.\ Mas.*. Gen.*, of Cer.*. of the Supreme Council of the United States of 
America, its Territories and Dependencies.” 

On the 14th day of Dec., 1865, this so-called Supreme Council for the Northern 
Jurisdiction declared Bro. Seymour expelled from all the rights and privileges of 
Masonry in every land of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. 

At this same meeting of this so-called Supreme Council for the Northern Juris¬ 
diction, Dec. 14, 1865, having at the previous day’s session, Dec. 13, accepted the 
pretended resignation of Bro. Hays, the Council elected Simon W. Robinson as 
Sovereign Grand Commander. On the 27th day of November, 1866, this Simon W. 
Robinson issued the following summons : 

“ T.\ T.\ G.*. O.*. T.\ G.*. A.*. O.L T.\ U.*. 

Health, Stability, Power. From the East of the Supreme Council of Sovereign 
Grand Inspectors General of the 33d and Last Degree, Ancient Accepted Scottish 
Lite for the Northern jurisdiction of the United States of America, under the 
C.\ C.‘. of the Z.-., near the B.-. B .\, answering to 40° 42' 40" AO. L.\ and 
2 0 o' 51" E.\ Lon.\, Meridian of Washington city, Orient of New York Nov 
27, 1866. 

Peer and Bro. Sov.*. Gd.\ Ins.*. Gen.*. 

You are hereby summoned to meet the Sov.*. Gd.\ Commander and Brethren 
Sov. Gd*. Ins.*. Gen.*, at Nassau Hall, corner of Washington and Common streets, 
Boston, Mass., on Thursday, Dec. 13, at n o’clock A.M., for the purpose of open- 



Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


21 


ing a session extraordinary of the Supreme Council, and for the transaction of such 
business as may legally come before it. 

Per order, Simon W. Robinson, 33 0 , M.\ P.\ S.\ G.\, 

Commander of the Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction, U. S. A. 
Attest : John F. Currier, 33 0 , 

Asst.-. Gr.\ Sec.-. Gen.-. H.\ E.\” 

Accordingly the following-named brethren assembled at the place designated in 
the city of Boston, Mass., on Thursday, the 13th day of December, 1866 : Simon W. 
Robinson, John L. Lewis, Lucius R. Paige, Geo. W. Bently, Henry C. Banks, 
Charles T. McClenachen, William Field, Samuel C. Lawrence, Richard M. Barker, 
John G. Case, John F. Currier, John Sheville, Clinton F. Paige, J. Clarke Hagey, 
William Barrett, Aaron King, Peter Lawson, Thomas A. Doyle, Israel Hunt, R. M. 

C. Graham, Wyzeman Marshall, James H. Freeland and Albert G. Goodall. 

Bro. Robinson announced, that consequent upon the death of Bro. E. A. Ray¬ 
mond, late Sovereign Grand Commander, he had succeeded to the Grand Com- 
mandership of the Supreme Council of S.\ G.\ I.'. G.\, 33^, and Last Degree of 
the A.-. A.*. S.". Rite of Free Masonry for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United 
States of America ; and in the exercise of the rights, privileges, and functions of said 
office, he had notified and summoned Bros. Charles W. Moore, Albert Case, Chas. 

R. Starkweather and A. B. Young to appear before him in Council Chamber; and 
they having failed or neglected to obey said summons, or to take notice thereof, he 
declared and proclaimed their seats in the Supreme Council to be vacant, and that he 
should proceed to fill the vacancies in the Supreme Council, pursuant to articles 2 and 
3 of the constitutions of 1786, whereupon the brethren present took the oath of 
Fealty and Allegiance to the Sovereign Grand Commander, and retired from the room. 

We must beg the indulgence of the reader, while we digress for a moment to note 
the inconsistency of Bro. Robinson. He says, “ he had notified and summoned Bros. 
Charles W. Moore, Albert Case, Chas. R. Starkweather, and A. B. Young to appear 
before him in Council Chamber, etc.” Of course the reader will understand he sum¬ 
moned the above-named brethren to appear before him for the purpose of opening 
the Council of which he claimed to have become Sovereign Grand Commander by 
reason of the death of Bro. Raymond. Did he forget that this same Council, on the . 
22d day of January, 1862 (see page 68 printed proceedings Northern Jurisdiction), 
had expelled Bro. Chas. W. Moore, and on the 31st day of July, 1862, had also ex¬ 
pelled Bros. Albert Case and Chas. R. Starkweather (see page 96 printed proceedings 
of the Northern Jurisdiction), because theydeserted the Raymond body and joined 
the Van Rensselaer forces ? Oh, no ! Bro. Pike had issued his mandate and he must 
needs obey, no matter how inconsistent or irregular. 

The Sovereign Grand Commander then selected Bro. Peter Lawson and appointed 
him Grand Treasurer General; these two then selected Bro. John L. Lewis and made 
him Lieut. Grand Commander ; these three then selected Bro. Lucius R. Paige and 
made him Minister of State and Grand Orator; these four then appointed Bro. 
Clinton F. Paige as Grand Marshal General; these five then chose Bro. Chas. T. 
McClenechen as Grand Master General of Ceremonies ; these six then made choice of 
Bro. William Field as Grand Captain of the Guard ; these seven then selected Bro. 
William Barrett as Grand Standard Bearer. The Sovereign Grand Commander then 
caused it to be proclaimed that the Supreme Council, 33 0 , for the Northern Jurisdiction 
United States of America, was fully organized, and proceeded to install the officers. 
They immediately altered their constitution, making the active members of the Su¬ 
preme Council thirty-three, and thereupon duly and successively elected the following 
brethren to active membership; viz. Daniel Sickles, Henry C. Banks, Geo. W. 




22 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


Bently, Hopkins Thompson, Johnlnnes, Geo. M. Randall, Henry L. Palmer, Aaron 
King, Thomas J. Corson, J. Clarke Hagey, John Sheville and John F. Currier. Bro. 
Daniel Sickles was chosen Gd.\Sec.*. Gen.’. H.\ E.\, and Bro. John F. Currier 
Asst.'. Gd.'. Sec.-. Gen.'. H.\ E.\ 

The Sovereign Grand Commander then read the following 

ADDRESS. 

(See pages 231 and 232 printed proceedings Northern Jurisdiction.) 

“ We have met, in the Providence of God, to deliberate on the present state of this 
Supreme Council, and to adopt such measures as will best subserve its interest, and I 
rejoice to meet so many of you apparently in the enjoyment of health and all the com¬ 
forts of life, and I earnestly pray for their continuance. The present meeting of the 
Council has been called at the request of several of its members, and the business to 
be considered is of the first importance. In the year 1863, and for many years pre¬ 
vious, there were two Supreme Councils—the Raymond Council, whose Grand East 
•was in Boston, and the Hays Council, with its Grand East in New York, both claim¬ 
ing jurisdiction. These two Councils, to a certain extent, were antagonistical and 
hostile to each other. Much of the strength of both parties was wasted in finding 
fault and aiming blows at each other, and their power for good was thus paralyzed. 
This condition of things could no longer be endured, and it became a subject of ab¬ 
sorbing solicitude and inquiry ; if not checked, what would be the result ? The 
affections which the Order inculcates were being alienated, and the fountains of social 
happiness poisoned. To obviate these evils, the exercise of the best faculties of the 
mind were put in requisition ; negotiations were commenced and prosecuted with in¬ 
defatigable industry to their completion. The fruits of those negotiations were the 
merging of the two Councils into one, and their constituting a “Union Council.” 
Exceptions were taken to this Union, especially by the Southern Council, who, after 
a long and deliberate consideration of the subject, were of the opinion that it was 
■irregular, and therefore decided not to recognize the Council. Ill.'. Bro.'. Pike, 
whose researches, Masonic intelligence, and familiar acquaintance with whatever per¬ 
tains to the Ancient and Accepted Rite gives to his opinion almost the authority of 
law, concurs with the Southern Council, and he is also of the opinion that the Ray¬ 
mond Council is not dead, but its vital energies suspended for the time being; and 
"the Lieut.'. Commander, under the late E. A. Raymond, succeeds to the office of 
Sov.'. Grand Commander of the only legitimate Council of the Northern Juris¬ 
diction. 

To place ourselves within the pale of legitimacy, and secure fraternal relations 
with the Southern Council and all other regular Councils, induced the brethren to 
dissolve the 1 Union Council,’ which has been done by the unanimous consent of every 
member. 

The Union Council being dissolved, its members are consequently absolved from 
the Oath of Fealty, and may lawfully resuscitate the Raymond Council and exercise 
all the rights, privileges, and functions to which it was entitled previous to its union 
with the Hays Council. 

This resuscitation has been consummated as provided in the 2d Section of Article 3 
of the Constitution of 1786; and proclamation has been made that the officers have 
been regularly appointed and installed, and the Council is now ready to proceed to 
the consideration of business that may regularly come before it. 

And now, Ill.'. Brethren, permit me to congratulate you upon the success of your 
efforts in the business for which the present meeting was called. You have resus¬ 
citated this Council from its dormancy, breathed into it the breath of life, and restored 
all the vital energies with which it was originally invested. It is now believed that 
every obstacle to a full and complete recognition by all regular Councils is removed, 
and we may reasonbly hope that this Supreme Council will continue to hold a high 
place in the scale of usefulness among the honored institutions of the land. Pax 
Vobiscum.” 

Thus was the compact entered into in 1863 between the Cerneau and Raymonti 
Councils broken, and those of the brethren who remained loyal to Cerneau were left 
out in the cold. There can be no doubt that the Raymond men and their allies in this 
outrage felt quite confident that the Cerneau body was entirely crushed and that 
.nothing more would be heard from it. On the 15th day of May, 1867, this revivified 



/ 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 25 

corpse, known as the Raymond Council, united itself to the so-called Van Rensselaer 
Council; an organization which, previous to passing into a state of suspended ani¬ 
mation, the Raymond Council had most bitterly denounced as irregular and illegiti¬ 
mate, and whose members it had expelled from all the rights and privileges of Scottish 
Masonry. Previous to uniting, each of those two Councils adopted the following: 

1 

ARTICLES OF CONSOLIDATION. 

“ 1st. There shall be but one Supreme Council of the A.'. A. - . Rite for the 
Northern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, to be composed of the United 
Supreme Councils heretofore existing therein ( i. e., the resuscitated Raymond and 
Van Rensselaer Councils), the one having its Grand East in New York and the other 
having its Grand East in Boston, whose active members shall be twenty-eight in num¬ 
ber from each council, and no more at the time of union, in order that the United 
Council shall have fifty-six Sovereign Grand Inspectors-General, which number may 
be hereafter increased at the pleasure of the Supreme Council. 

2nd. All action heretofore taken in expelling members from either council, etc., is 
hereby revoked. 

3d. All subordinate bodies to be deemed valid, etc. 

4th. The Grand Orient of the Jurisdiction shall be at Boston, Mass., etc. 

5th. One meeting, at least every three years, shall be held at Boston, etc. 

6th. Allowing the amendment of the Constitution by a two-third vote, etc.” 

And thus was formed the organization which styles itself “ The Supreme Council 
for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction,” many of whose members, to-day, amuse 
themselves by sneering at the members of the Cerneau body; and being ignorant of 
the history of their own Council, they attempt to answer the sound arguments offered 
by the defenders of the Cerneau Rite with the cry of “ Fraud,” “ Illegitimate,” “ De¬ 
scendants of an expelled Mason, Harry J. Seymour.” We of the Cerneau faith pay 
but little heed to this; being assured of the justice of our cause, we propose to perse¬ 
vere with fortitude undaunted, and when we shall have subdued our enemy, as subdue 
we surely will, we will regard him no longer as a foe, but extend the glorious attribute 
of righteous mercy. 

The Raymond men were grievously mistaken in supposing that they had crushed 
out the Cerneau body by their desertion of the Union Council. There were a great 
many members of the Cerneau body who were not present when the Union Council 
was declared to be dissolved and knew nothing of it, and the spirit of the body was 
not crushed, but the flame still burned and the desire was strong among them to 
gather together as Cerneau men, and with zeal and unflinching courage go on with 
the legitimate work ; and, although for a time they seemed to have become somewhat 
demoralized and disheartened, they rallied under the leadership of Bro. Harry J. 
Seymour, and soon gave their opponents to understand that the Cerneau body was 
neither dead nor sleeping. Bro. Hays, though he endeavored to advise and encourage 
the brethren, was seriously ill and could take no active part in the deliberations ; he 
therefore authorized Bro. Seymour to call together those who still remained loyal to 
Cerneau, and to reorganize the Supreme Council, which he did. 

Our opponents now assert that this reorganization by Bro. Seymour was illegal, 
because he had been expelled; that it is not recognized by Bro. Benjamin C. Leveridge, 
and that Bro. Hays did not approve of it, but that when he died he was in full accord 
and sympathy with the Northern Jurisdiction. All of these assertions we most em¬ 
phatically deny. Bro. Harry J. Seymour expelled ! By whom ? By a body of men 
claiming to be the Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction ; a body to which he 
never belonged and never gave his Oath of Allegiance; a body which was declared, by 
the so-called “ Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction,” from whom it sought 
recognition and claimed as its Mother, to be irregular and illegitimate ; a body which,, 


24 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


within one year from the date of this so-called expulsion, declared itself to be irregu¬ 
lar and illegitimate ; a body whose Commander, Simon W. Robinson, was elected at 
the same session at which Bro. Seymour was declared expelled, but who, within one 
year, ignored that election and claimed, by reason of the death of Bro. Raymond, 
which occurred some time prior to said election, to be Sov. \ Gd.\ Commander of 
another body which had died Feb. i8, 1863. If these are facts, and the declaration is 
true as made by this Simon W. Robinson, on the 13th of December, 1866, in the city of 
Boston, to the effect that the Council which had elected him Sov.*. Gd.\ Commander, 
on the 14th of December, 1865, and at the same session declared Bro. Seymour ex¬ 
pelled, was irregular and illegitimate, certainly all its acts were irregular and illegiti¬ 
mate, and our friends of the Northern Jurisdiction must, from their own standpoint, 
concede that this so-called expulsion was void and of no effect. 

Bro. Seymour expelled ! and for what ? For asserting that this so-called Supreme 
Council was irregular, illegitimate, and a fraud on the Masonic fraternity ; an asser¬ 
tion which Simon W. Robinson, in effect, repeated on the 13th day of December, 1866, 
and for which he was not expelled, but his sentiments approved of by some of the 
very men who participated in this sham expulsion. So much for the expulsion of 
Harry J. Seymour ! 

The reader will remember that when the question of uniting with the Raymond 
Council was under discussion in the Hays-Cerneau Council, Ill.'. Benjamin C. Lever- 
idge, who was the Grand Orator and Minister of State, was opposed to said union, 
and failing in his efforts to prevent its accomplishment, he resigned his position and 
refused to have anything to do with it. He therefore occupies the position of a 
Sovereign Grand Inspector-General 33 0 who was never identified with or acknowl¬ 
edged any other body of Scottish Rite Masons, in the United States, save the Cerneau 
body as presided over by Ill. *. Bro.'. Hays prior to the union of 1863. 

Bro. Leveridge is a Member Emeritus of the Cerneau Council. On the 22d day of 
September, 1886, in the presence of the writer and another brother, at his office, No. 
229 Broadway, in the city of New York, Bro. Leveridge, in the most .emphatic man¬ 
ner, made the following declaration : “The only legitimate Supreme Council in the 
United States is the Cerneau Council presided over by Ill.'. Bro. Wm. H. Peckham; 
I know no other, there is no other, and you gentlemen have no right to speak of any 
other body as being in existence.” 

Ill.'. Alexander B. Mott, M. D., 33 0 , was made a Sov.'. Gd.\ Ins.'. Gen.'. 33 0 by 
Edmund B. Hays in i860. He was made Puissant Lieut.'. Grand Commander of 
the Supreme Council in 1870, and has held that position ever since. He was very in¬ 
timate with Bro. Hays, and during his last illness was his attending physician. Dr. 
Mott’s social, professional, and Masonic standing will, we think, be sufficient guaran¬ 
tee for his veracity. He positively asserts that Bro. Hays, prior to his death, re¬ 
peatedly urged him to stand by the Cerneau body ; that sooner or later it would suc¬ 
cessfully assert its rights and powers. 

Ill.'. Bros. James M. Turner, Provost S. Haines and others, members of the 
Cerneau body, are to-day living witnesses that Bro. Hays remained true and loyal to 
the Cerneau body until his death. 

Failing in their frantic efforts to prove their other assertions, our friends of the 
Northern and Southern Councils, as a final resort, declare “ that the Cerneau body 
must be illegitimate because it is not recognized by foreign Supreme Councils.” 

We would like to inquire, how long have they been recognized, and how did they 
obtain such recognition as they have ? Bro. Albert Pike, in an address before his 
Council in 1878, said : “ Twelve years ago we had no foreign correspondence of any 
value, and no foreign power considered us entitled to respect. To most of them our 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


25 


very existence was unknown, and with those who knew us our opinions would have 
had no weight.” This was the self-styled “ Mother Council of the world.” 

“ Twelve years ago ” would take them back to 1866. Bro. A. G. Goodall was ap¬ 
pointed by the Union-Hays Council, October, 1864, as Grand Representative, with 
power to establish fraternal relations with the Supreme Councils throughout South 
America, and to appoint representatives near the said Grand bodies. His patent was 
signed by Edmund Burke Hays, Sov. Gd. Commander of the Supreme Council for the 
United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies. He was successful, and 
was received with open arms, as such Representative, by all of the Supreme Councils. 
The Supreme Council of Brazil was organized by the Cerneau Council, and he, as its 
Representative, received a special welcome. He returned in 1866, but instead of re¬ 
porting to Bro. Hays and the body that sent him on his mission, he reported to the 
“ Resuscitated Raymond Council.” 

It is quite amusing to read some of these reports as printed in the proceedings of 
the Northern Jurisdiction. On page 259, under date of October 25, 1865, he is re¬ 
ported as writing to the Gd.\ Orient and Supreme Council of Brazil, as follows : 

“ I have the honor to inform you of my arrival in this city (Rio de Janeiro), with 
delegated powers of Dep.\ Sov.-. Gd.-. Ins.*. Gen.-, of the 33d degree of the Ancient 
and Accepted Scottish Rite, and Representative of the Supreme Council for the 
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America, having its Orient in 
the city of New York.” 

It will be remembered that the resolution changing the name to the “Supreme 
Council for the Northern Jurisdiction ” was not adopted until Oct.22, 1865. There 
was no telegraphic communication between the United States and Brazil until 1874. 
How did Bro. Goodall learn of the change in three days ? Also on page 259 there 
is a copy of a letter written by the Grand Secretary of Uruguay, dated Sept. 27, 
1865, nearly a month previous to the change of name. It is addressed as follows : 

“ To the Sov.-. Gd.-. Ins.-. Gen.-. 33 0 , and Deputy of the Supreme Council for 
the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of North America, Orient 
New York City.” 

Did Bro. Goodall know of the plot to change the name, etc., before he started for 
South America ? or did the members of tjie Raymond Council falsify the reports ? 
We know not; but we do know that the benefit of Bro. Goodall’s labors was given 
to the opponents of the Cerneau body, and thus Albert Pike’s Council and its ally, the 
so-called “Northern Jurisdiction,” gained the “foreign recognition” of which they 
are so proud and boast so loudly. 

Judging from a circumstance which occured during the past summer (1887), they 
do not place quite so much confidence in this foreign recognition as they would have 
their opponents, as well as their own followers, believe. Ill.-. Wm. H. Sutton 33 0 , 
Second Lt.\ Commander of Brooklyn Consistory, No. 24 (Cerneau), accompanied 
by Bro. Richard Shannon (32 0 Northern Jurisdiction), visited Europe during the past 
summer (1887). Bros. Sutton and Shannon are intimate friends and belong to the same 
blue Lodge, Hill Grove, No. 540, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Bro. Sutton took with him his 
patent as a Sov.-. Gd.'. Ins.-. Gen.-. 33 0 , and a letter of introduction to the Representa¬ 
tive of the Supreme Council (Cerneau) resident in England. It seems that our friends 
of the Northern Jurisdiction were terribly frightened at the prospect of one of their 
number going to Europe with a Cerneau man, and made sure that Bro. Shannon 
should be well fortified with the necessaries to prove that he was “ Simon pure.” Ap¬ 
parently they did not dare to trust his patent, as signed by the Supreme Council of 
the Northern Jurisdiction, so they sent it to Washington and had it indorsed by the 
Commander of the “ Mother Council of the world,” Bro. Albert Pike. 


26 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


Bros. Sutton and Shannon arrived at their destination, were cordially received by 
the parties to whom they had letters of introduction, but as there were no bodies of 
the Scottish Rite in session at that season of the year, neither had an opportunity of 
testing the merits of their different patents. Judge of Bro. Sutton’s surprise, how¬ 
ever, on his arrival at home, to find that Bro. Pike, not deeming his indorsement of 
Bro. Shannon’s patent sufficient, had stooped to the meanness of attempting to put 
an indignity upon Bro. Sutton, which the humblest Master Mason, having the least 
regard for the spirit of his obligations, would have scorned to be guilty of. The whole 
matter can be more easily understood by a perusal of the following extract from the 
Brooklyn Daily Eagle of Sept, n, 1887 : 

“THE MASONIC VIDOCQ.”—ALBERT PIKE DEALT WITH SUMMARILY BY THE 

MASONIC CHRONICLE. 

There are several Masonic organizations claiming the right to confer degrees in the 
Scottish Rite. One is called, in popular language, the Cerneau organization, and 
another organization, geographically designated as the Southern Rite, is presided over 
by a man named Albert Pike. These and other organizations dispute with one 
another about questions of priority, succession, etc., which are more intelligible and 
important to Masons than pertinent to general journalism. At times the disputes re¬ 
ferred to flow out of the lodge channels in which they are launched and are made 
malevolent and unjust use of, as well as giving evidence of a spirit of truculency and 
abuse which is worthy only of reprobation. 

An instance in kind is the appearance in the Chaine d' Union, a French Masonic 
publication, of the appended absurd and scandalous letter : 

‘Or. of Washington, July 4, 1887. 

Dear Bro. Hubert —Should a person named Sutton, of Brooklyn (New York), 
pretending to be 33d, present himself to you, or should you hear him spoken of, put 
brethren on their guard against him. He is a false 33d, fabricated by one of the 
Cerneau organizations of New York, whom they have made to believe that he will be 
recognized in France. 

Aid in opening eyes. Fraternally and sincerely, 

(Signed) Albert Pike, 

Gr. Commander .’ 

To characterize such a statement as it deserves would require words more severe 
than the good temper of the Eagle calls for and more direct than the merits or im¬ 
portance of Pike entitle him to. The gentleman referred to is Mr. William H. 
Sutton,, Senior Warden of Hill Grove Lodge No. 540, F. and A. M., Second Lieuten¬ 
ant Commander in the Consistory and a Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the 
thirty-third and last degree in the Cerneau body. The rank Mr. Sutton has attained 
in an honorable fraternity is on a par with his character as a man and as a trusted em¬ 
ploye of a great business enterprise here for nearly forty years, until, as is well known, 
he stands at the head of one of its most important departments. For Pike to employ 
a dispute about Masonic precedence as a cover for a personal attack is cowardly and 
base to the last degree. 

Such, in truth, is the opinion of the Masonic Chronicle , a publication not at all in 
sympathy with the claims of the Cerneau organization, but equally an enemy of in¬ 
justice, libel and insufferable pretension. Of the letter of Pike, whom it not inaptly 
calls ‘ The Masonic Vidocq,’ the Chronicle in its current issue remarks as follows, 
showing that the great and pure Lafayette himself was exposed to a like attack in his 
own country more than sixty years ago. 

‘To what a degradation in gentility has malicious spite and malignant egotism in¬ 
duced the “ Model Mason of the World ” to descend, so that, by a few strokes of the 
pen, he should voluntarily write himself down spy, eavesdropper, babbler, and in¬ 
former—in a word, a concentration of characteristics repulsive to a man of integrity 
and honor. 

We are unacquainted with the personality of the “ person named Sutton,” but we 
presume him to be a Master Mason, and in that capacity entitled to consideration and 
respect from every individual member of.the universal Masonic family. At all events, 
he should be spared the gross indignity of being branded a fraud and impostor prior 
to presentation of his credentials, had he ever intended so to have done. Again, 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 27 


-whence and by what means did this autocratic detective obtain evidence either that 
“the person” Sutton had been fabricated a 33d by any organization whatsoever or 
that he was induced to believe that he would be recognized in France ? Has Albert 
Pike the ear of the Tyrant of Syracuse, or has he surrounded rival council chambers 
with relays of cowans ? 

One thing is certain, that, in this instance, beneath the robes of a Sov. Ins. Gen. 
he has smothered the traits of an ordinary gentleman, leaving alone the innate chiv¬ 
alry of an untutored backwoodsman. 

It is distressing to know from Albert Pike’s own lips that no records of his Council 
of a date prior to i860 are in existence, otherwise in the manifold letter book could 
be found a letter conceived as follows : 

“ Or. of Charleston, S. C., May 25, 1825. 

Dear Bro. Chose —Should a person named Lafayette, of Paris, pretending to be 
a 33 d, present himself to you, or should you hear him~spoken of, put Brethren on 
their guard against him. 

He is a false 33d, fabricated by the Cerneau Council, in New York, whom they 
have made to believe that he will be recognized in France. 

Aid in opening eyes. 

Fraternally and sincerely, Emanuel de la Motta, 

K. H. S. P. R. S. &c. , &c., &c.” ’ 

General Lafayette, in 1825, was Sovereign Grand Commander of the Cerneau Su¬ 
preme Council. On his return to Paris he was appointed a representative of the 
Supreme Council of the United States to the Grand Orient and Supreme Council of 
France. He was received by those brethren with the highest honors and acknowl¬ 
edged as such representative. Governor De Witt Clinton, of the State of New York, 
resigned the grand commandership, that Lafayette might be elected. When men of 
such standing are made the target of abuse under cover of fomenting divisions or of 
advancing pretensions in Masonry or in anything else, the reader can judge of the 
value and truthfulness of strictures like unto those put forth by “ The Masonic 
Vidocq” in this instance.” 

Further comment on above is deemed unnecessary ; it speaks for itself. The Ray¬ 
mond body had no foreign recognition until it united with the Cerneau body in 1863; 
nor the Van Rensselaer body until it united with the resuscitated Raymond body in 
1867, and then reaped the benefit of a recognition which was intended for the Cerneau 
body. Does any intelligent reader imagine that, if the members of the various Supreme 
Councils of the world read the printed proceedings of the Northern Jurisdiction from 
i860 to 1867 and the different Allocutions of Bro. Pike, they would be anxious to es¬ 
tablish fraternal relations with either the so-called Southern or Northern Supreme 
Councils ? The truth of the matter is that foreign Supreme Councils have not of 
late years attempted to investigate the truth as to the cause of the troubles in Scottish 
Rite Masonry in this country. The Cerneau Council since 1862 has neglected its 
foreign correspondence; the present Grand Officers, however, propose to remedy that 
error, and ere long we think our opponents will be deprived of even the little “ crumb 
of comfort,” “ foreign recognition.” 

We have dwelt longer on this subject than weintended, and must resume the history 
of the Cerneau Council. The consummation of the treacherous scheme by the union of 
the so-called Raymond and Van Rensselaer Councils had the effect of increasing the 
indignation of the loyal Cerneau men against the traitors. A meeting of the Supreme 
Council and Sovereign Grand Consistory was held May 21st, 1867, at Odd Fellows 
Hall, corner Grand and Centre streets, in the city of New York, which was presided 
over by Ill.-. Harry J. Seymour as Acting Sovereign Grand Commander. 

On motion of Ill.’. Provost S. Haines, 33d, seconded by Ill.’. James M. Turner, 
33d, the following action was taken : 

Whereas , We, the undersigned Sov.’. and Dep.’. Gd.’. Inspectors Gen.-, and S.\ 
P.*. R.\ S.’ , having pledged our sacred obligations to maintain and support the Su- 


28 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 

preme Council for the United States of America, view with sorrow and regret the 
action of certain members of this Supreme Council in allying themselves with an 
illegal organization self-constituted as the Supreme Council of the Northern Juris¬ 
diction ; therefore, be it 

Resolved , That we hereby renounce, and denounce, those who have violated their 
solemn pledges, as unworthy of confidence in Scottish Masonry, and that we, from 
this time forth, will not, and can not, recognize them, or the body styling itself the 
Northern Jurisdiction, as Masons of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Signed, 


Provost S. Haines, 
James M. Turner, 
Chas. C. J. Beck, 
Nehemiah Peck, 

J. P. Solomon, 

W. J. Kay, 

W. P* Patten, 

John Brown, 

J. Shipsey, 

John Ellard, 

J. McGee, 

John Vanderbeck, Sr. 
John Vanderbeck, Jr., 


Peter W. Nefus, 

J. Franklin Wells, 
Thos. T. May, 

Thos. M. Stanton, 
R. W. Dockson, 

E. A. Hodson, 

John Hanna, 

Jas. Bliss, 

Geo. B. Flanders, 
Thos. Bennett, 
Chas. J. Dodge, 
Francis Hemsley, 
Chas. E. Pine, 


Harry J. Seymour, 


Acting Sov.-. Gd.\ Commander. 


The Grand Masters of the Grand Orient of Italy, Francisco de Lucca and Giuseppe 
Garibaldi, acknowledged the reception of their patents from the Supreme Council, 
and Ill.*. Bro.\ John T. Crane, P.*. Gd.\ Master of the Gd.*. Lodge of the,State of 
New York, was made their Representative to the Supreme Council 33 0 and Honorary 
Member of the Grand Orient of Italy. 

Quietly and prosperously the Cerneau body continued to meet in harmony, not ad¬ 
ding largely to its numbers, but still keeping up the fraternal gatherings ; the members 
cherishing in their hearts the hope of one day seeing the Supreme Council founded by 
Cerneau, and sustained by those great Masonic lights, Mulligan, De Witt Clinton, 
Hicks, Jeremy L. Cross, H. C. Atwood, and E. B. Hays, resume its original rights 
and supremacy in Scottish Masonry. 

In 1870 the meetings of the Supreme Council were held in Mott’s Memorial Hall, 
64 Madison Avenue, and Ill.*. Alexander B. Mott, M.D., was made Puissant Lieut. 
Gd. Commander. The health of Bro. Hays still remained poor, and Bro. Seymour 
continued acting Sov.*. Gd.*. Commander. 

In 1871, Ill.*. Joseph L. Perkins, Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery 
of Knights Templar, of Vermont, was made Deputy Inspector for that State. Right 
Worshipful Bros. N. P. Bowman, John Bacon, Delos M. Bacon, F. J. Dalton, S. E. 
Kirkpatrick, and Stephen C. Shurtleff, of Vermont, were made Deputy Inspectors of 
the 33 0 . 

In 1872, Bro. Hays resigned, and Ill.*. H. J. Seymour was elected M.\ P.\ Sov.-. 
Gd.-. Commander. Two years later, 1874, Bro. Hays died in the city of Brooklyn, 
N. Y. 

In 1879, Ill.-. Wm. H. Peckham was made Grand Treasurer General H.*. E.*. 

In 1880, Bro. Seymour resigned, and Ill.-. Wm. H. Peckham was elected M.\ P.\ 
Sov.-. Gd.-. Commander. At this time, while there were many brethren owing 
allegiance to the Supreme Council, there were no organized subordinate bodies, with 
the exception of the Sov.-. Gd.-. Consistory. Under the command of Bro. Peckham, 
however, the body seems to have taken new life ; subordinate bodies were rapidly or¬ 
ganized and instituted, money began to flow into the treasury, and notwithstanding 
the opposition of its old-time opponents, the Cerneau body became popular and stead¬ 
ily increased in membership and influence. 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


2 9 


In September, 1881, the Grand Consistory of the State of Maryland and its subor¬ 
dinate bodies surrendered their charters to Albert Pike, refusing to remain longer 
under his authority. At that time these were the only active bodies in the Southern 
Jurisdiction. Their membership consisted of the most prominent and influential 
Masons in the State of Maryland. They appointed a committee to investigate the 
various claims of the different so-called Supreme Councils of the Ancient and Accepted 
Scottish Rite. The committee made a thorough and exhaustive investigation, and 
decided that the Supreme Council presided over by the M.\ Ill.*. Wm. H. Peckham 
was the only legitimate Supreme Council in the United States. In 1884 all of these 
brethren, with the exception of ten, were made members of the Cerneau body, and 
were organized and instituted as Baltimore Consistory No. 9, S. *. P. *. R.\ S. *. 32 0 ; 
since which time two other Consistories have been instituted in the State of Maryland, 
and enrolled under the Cerneau banner. In 1886 and 1887 the Constitution was re¬ 
vised and amended, the ad vitarn principle was abandoned, and the form of govern¬ 
ment made representative and more liberal. 

In 1886 the Supreme Council was composed as follows : 

. M.\ Ill.*. Wm. H. Peckham, M.\ P.*. Sov.*. Gd.*. Commander. 

V.*. Ill.*. Alexander B. Mott, M.D., P.\ Lt.*. Gd.\ Commander. 

V.*. Ill.*. Chas. D. Brown, M.D., Gd.*. Orator and Min.*, of State. 

V.*. Ill.*. James S. Fraser, Gd.*. Sec.*. Gen.*. H.*. E.\ 

V.*. Ill.*. Cyrus O. Hubbell, Gd.*. Treas.*. Gen.*. H.\ E.\ 

V.*. Ill.*. Ferdinand J. S. Gorgas, M.D., Gd.*. Mar.*. Gen.*. 

V.*. Ill.*. James McGrath, Gd.*. Mas.*. Gen.*, of Ceremonies. 

V.*. Ill.*. Chas. F. Beck, Gd.*. Standard Bearer. 

V.*. Ill.*. James M. Turner, Gd.*. Capt.\ of the Guard. 

Ill.*. Philip F. D. Hibbs, Gd.*. Seneschal. 

On October 6, 1886, the first election under the revised Constitution was held, with 
the following result: 

M.\ Ill.*. Wm. H. Peckham, M.\ P.\ Sov.*. Gd.*. Commander. 

V. *. Ill.*. Alexander B. Mott, M.D., P.\ Lt.*. Gd.*. Commander. 

V.*. Ill.*. Ferdinand J. S. Gorgas, M.D., Gd.*. Orator and Min.*, of State. 

V.*. Ill.*. James S. Fraser, Gd.*. Sec.*. Gen.*. H.\ E.*. 

V.*. Ill.*. Philip F. D. Hibbs, Gd.*. Treas.*. Gen.*. H.\ E.\ 

V.*. Ill.*. Major W. Bayliss, Gd.*. Mar.*. Gen.*. 

V. *. Ill.*. James McGrath, Gd.*. Mas.*. Gen.*, of Ceremonies. 

V.*. Ill.*. Geo. Davis, Gd.*. Standard Bearer. 

V.*. Ill.*. John H. Russell, Gd.*. Capt.*. of the Guard. 

Ill.*. Alexander McLean, Gd.*. Seneschal. 


At the annual rendezvous of the Sovereign Grand Consistory held in the city of 
Baltimore, Md., on the 24th day of June, 1887, M.*. Ill.*. Wm. H. Peckham informed 
the brethren that in consequence of various business interests, which had been neg¬ 
lected by reason of his close attention to the affairs of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, 
and also on account of his failing health, he deemed it his duty to tender^his resigna¬ 
tion as Sov.*. Gd.'. Commander. With many regrets the resignation was accepted 
and an election held to fill this and other vacancies occurring under the provisions of 
the revised Constitution, with the following result: 

M.*. Ill.*. Ferdinand J. S. Gorgas, M.D.,M.\ P.*. Sov.*. Gd.*. Commander. 

V.*. Ill.*. Alexander B. Mott, M.D., P.*. Lt.*. Gd.*. Commander. 







30 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry . 


V.-. Ill.-. Philip F. D. Hibbs, Gd.\ Orator and Minister of State. 

V.\ Ill.-. James S. Fraser, Gd.\ Sec.-. Gen.-. H.\ E.'. 

V.-. Ill.-. John H. Russell, Gd.\ Treas.-. Gen.-. H.\ E.\ . 

V.-. Ill.-. Geo. Davis, Gd.-. Mar.-. Gen.-. 

V.-. Ill.". James McGrath, Gd.-. Mas.-. Gen.-, of Ceremonies. 

V.-. Ill.-. Wm. Marshall, Gd.-. Standard Bearer. 

V.'. Ill.-. J. Thompson Brown, Gd.-. Capt.\ of the Guard. 

Ill.-. Alexander McLean, Gd.-. Seneschal. 

Ill.*. Alexander W. Murray, Gd.-. Sentinel. 

On the 25th day of June, 1887, the M.\ P.\ Sov.'. Gd.-. Commander and the 
other newly elected officers were duly installed by V.*. Ill.-. James M. Turner, Mem¬ 
ber Emeritus of the Sov.-. Gd.-. Consistory and PastGd.-. Capt.-. of the Guard of the 
Supreme Council, who had been advanced to the 33d degree by the lamented Henry 
C. Atwood in 1858, and who had during all those years remained true and loyal to 
the Cerneau body. 

On assuming the duties of the office the M.\ P.'. Sov.-. Gd.-. Commander issued 
the following 

MANIFESTO. 

To all Free and Accepted Masons: 

Upon assuming the duties devolving upon me by reason of my election to the 
office of M.\ P.\ Sov.-. Grand Commander of the A.-. A.'. Scottish Rite for the 
United States of America, its Territories and Dependencies, I do not appear as one 
who is unknown, or who has devoted the time he has been a Mason to a particular 
branch of the Order to the neglect of others, as is too frequently the case. 

But having for many years of my life been an active worker in Lodge, Chapter 
and Commandery, and the recipient of the highest offices in the gift of my Brethren, 
Companions and Fraters, and with a conscientious belief that I have faithfully labored 
to promote the interests of all the Masonic bodies with which I am connected, and 
also having been brought in communication with my Brethren and Fraters throughout 
our own and other lands by reason of my duties as Chairman of Committees on 
Foreign Correspondence for many years of my Gr. \ Lodge and Gr.". Commandery, 
I desire to assure all who are not Scottish Rite Masons, and especially those who have, 
perhaps, been in the habit of regarding the A.-. A.-.Scottish Rite (and with reason, 
I admit, owing to the pretensions of some persons connected with so-called Councils 
of Scottish Masonry) as antagonistic to Symbolic Masonry, that the Rite of Scottish 
Masonry over which I have the great honor to preside is a firm supporter of the 
inalienable rights of Symbolic Masonry, and has never by word or deed sought to ex¬ 
ercise any control over, or in any manner whatever attempted by its teachings or by 
the phraseology of its rituals, to detract from the dignity and prerogatives of what is 
and should be universally recognized as the foundation and origin of all Masonry— 
namely, the first three degrees. 

What is generally known as the Cerneau Rite of Scottish Masonry, on account of 
its organization in the city of New York in 1807 by Ill.-. Bro. Joseph Cerneau, as¬ 
sisted by such prominent Masons as De Witt Clinton, John W. Mulligan, Cad- 
wallader CoMen, and their immediate successors, Elias Hicks, Jeremy L. Cross, and 
others, to whom Symbolic, Capitular, Cryptic, and Templar Masonry are so greatly 
indebted, has never claimed jurisdiction over the first three degrees, and has never 
possessed any rituals of such work, but, on the contrary, has ever maintained that 
branch of Masonry in its privileges, always repudiating and repelling any interference 
with the prerogatives it rightfully possesses. Unfortunately this has not been the 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Kite of rvceinasonTy . 31 

case with the other bodies claiming to be Scottish Rite Councils, as can be clearly 
proven by a reference to their printed proceedings. 

I therefore truthfully assert that of all the different bodies claiming to be legiti¬ 
mate Scottish Rite Masons, the one otfer which I preside is more in accord with Sym¬ 
bolic, Capitular, and Templar Masonry at the present time than any other; and in a 
number of the Masonic Jurisdictions of our country, is composed of the active 
Masons who by their zeal, energy and intelligence are the supporters of all the dif¬ 
ferent branches of Masonry from the Blue Lodge to the Consistory. As the charac¬ 
ter of the members best illustrates the cause they represent, we have indeed reason to 
be proud of the Masonic record of the Brethren of the Cerneau Rite of Scottish 
Masonry; and the great success and prosperity which are attending our efforts to 
propagate the true Scottish Masonry depend upon the character of those who sin¬ 
cerely believe that our cause is founded upon justice and truth, as well as on the proofs 
we can furnish of our legitimacy. , 

No branch of Scottish Rite Masonry can be in accord with Symbolic Masonry that 
takes advantage of every opportunity to make the latter subservient to the former ; 
and such has been the course pursued in jurisdictions where Brethren, Companions 
and Fraters are persecuted for presuming to choose between truth and error. The 
day is not distant when the fact will be recognized, that of all the bodies of Scottish 
Rite Masons in this country claiming to be legitimate, the Cerneau body is the most 
faithful to the principles of pure Masonry. 

To all Scottish Rite Masons: 

The present Sov.\ Grand Commander of the Cerneau body was made an Hon.*. 
Grand Inspector General in the year 1878, in the body known as the Southern Juris¬ 
diction, the 33d degree having been conferred upon him by its Commander, assisted 
by the Commander of what is known as the Northern Jurisdiction. At that time he 
presided over a Lodge of Perfection and a Chapter of Rose Croix, and was an officer 
in every Scottish Rite body under the jurisdiction of the Grand Consistory of Mary- 
land. When the Grand Consistory of Maryland and all of its subordinate bodies 
unanimously voted to surrender their charters to the Pike body, he remained unaffili¬ 
ated for a period of three years, during which time he carefully investigated the claims 
to legitimacy of the different organizations of Scottish Masonry in this country. 

Such investigation convinced him, beyond a doubt, that the Cerneau body was the 
only Scottish Rite organization which fiad been founded by proper authority in the 
United States. An investigation of the history of Masonry in Maryland also revealed 
the fact that the large Scottish Rite bodies established in Baltimore in 1792 and 1798 
the membership of which included nearly all of the most prominent Maryland Masons 
of that period, were organized under the same authority by which Ill. - . Bro. Cerneau 
in the year 1807 established the Sov.*. Grand Consistory and Supreme Council in 
New York City. 

The legitimacy of the Ceimeau body was never questioned until the adventurer De 
La Motta, in the year 1813, endeavored to make money by conferring the Scottish Rite 
Degrees in New York, where a legitimate body had been in existence for six years, 
and pretended to establish a Supreme Council on the same illegal foundation as the 
one which had been previously established in Charleston, S. C., and of which he was 
a member; these acts of De La Motta being repudiated and condemned by some of 
the most prominent and influential Masons of New York and other States. 

The present Sov.*. Grand Commander also satisfied himself by evidence of the 
strongest character, that the pretended absorption of the Cerneau body in the year 
1867 was a fraud, and that a number of the original Cerneau members, some of 


32 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


whom are now living, and members of our body, refused to be sold, and remained 
true to the Rite, which has had an unbroken existence since the year of its organiza¬ 
tion ; the Charleston body dying a short time after that pretended to have been es¬ 
tablished by De La Motta. 

When the present Sov.*. Grand Commander of the Cerneau body connected him¬ 
self with it, he had nothing to gain, and was prompted solely by a desire to espouse 
the right, and advance the cause of truth and justice. 

The Cerneau body derives its revenue by moderate assessments on its subordinate 
bodies, no greater in amount than will defray the current expenses. 

It has no officials to support in idleness, and but two of its officers receive salaries, 
which are so moderate in amount that no man can be accused of being supported by 
the Cerneau body. 

That there have been periods of depression, and even instances of irregularity in 
the history of the Cerneau body cannot be denied, and there is not a Masonic body in 
this country of which the same may not be said ; but the fact remains, that it is the 
only legitimate Scottish Rite organization ever established in the United States, and 
to-day is prospering to such a degree as to excite the animosity of those who have 
used Scottish Masonry to advance their individual interests and private gains. 

The prophecy of P.\ Sov. *. Grand Commander Edmund B. Hays, expressed a 
short time before his death to one of the old Cerneau members, who is at present a 
member of our Supreme Council, when he advised him “ to remain where he was, a 
Cerneau Mason,” “that sooner or later it would assert its rights and powers,” has 
.been nobly verified. 

To all Scottish Rite Masons of our obedience : 

As your Sov.*. Grand Commander, I extend to you greetings, and rejoice with 
you in the continued prosperity of our cherished Rite. 

In assuming the duties of the exalted office which it has pleased the Representa¬ 
tives of our bodies to confer upon me, I recognize the great responsibilities con¬ 
nected with it, and respectfully request your assistance to enable me to properly dis¬ 
charge them. 

We have now entered upon a course of prosperity which insures a bright 
future, if we all exhibit that energy and zeal in the propagation and preservation 
of our beloved Rite which should animate those who have its true interests at heart. 

No longer need we stand on the defensive; the time for such action has passed, 
and it now behooves us to manfully struggle in the assault. 

While at all times we should be ready to instruct and enlighten those who ap¬ 
proach us with an honest desire for “ Light,” let us not engage in useless discussions 
with those whose prejudices obscure their reason, and who do not hesitate to em¬ 
ploy falsehoods to support their frail arguments. 

Being well assured of the justice of our cause, let us press onward with a fortitude 
worthy of the object of our Rite, ever remembering that the machinations of our ene¬ 
mies will increase according to the degree of respect and influence we command, and 
the success attending our efforts. 

The position the Cerneau Rite now occupies should inspire us with a greater 
determination than ever to not only reoccupy the territory of which we were un¬ 
justly deprived in the past, but to propagate our Rite in soil which has never yet 
been cultured. 

The Cerneau Rite of Masonry is now established on a firm and enduring basis, 
and its principles are so pure and elevating in their character, and so much in accord 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 33 


with “ the great truths ” which all good men recognize, as to enlist the support of 
many of the most prominent and influential Masons of our country. 

Careful investigation confirms all that is claimed for the Cerneau body, and re¬ 
sults in the enlightenment of those who have heretofore been influenced by unsup¬ 
ported statements. 

The Sov. •. Gd.\ Commander earnestly desires to impress upon all Active Sov¬ 
ereign Grand Inspectors General the importance of official visits to the bodies of the 
Rite in their respective jurisdictions, both Grand and Subordinate, in order that they 
may be fostered and encouraged by the presence, advice, and interest of those whose 
duty it is to look well to their welfare. 

The Constitution requires all Active Sov.*. Grand Inspectors General to present 
at each annual rendezvous of the Sov.*. Grand Consistory, reports concerning the 
condition of the bodies of the Rite under their immediate charge, and the Sov.\ Grand 
Commander feels assured that this duty will be strictly complied with. 

The Sov. \ Grand Commander, in the performance of his duties, earnestly desires 
the assistance and co-operation of the Ill. \ Commanders-in-Chief of the Grand and 
Subordinate Consistories, and trusts that these officers will do all in their power to 
advance the interests of the bodies under their charge, and not fail to recognize the 
great influence they can exert by instructing, encouraging and interesting the mem¬ 
bers of such bodies concerning their duties as Scottish Rite Masons. 

With such assistance the Sov.'. Grand Commander sincerely believes that his term 
of office will be a successful one, and that our beloved Rite will flourish throughout 
the extent of the land. ' 

With sentiments of the most affectionate fraternity, 

Ferdinand J.S. Gorgas, 33 0 , 

M.\ P.\ Sov.‘. Grand Commander. 

Grand Okient of New York, July 9, 1887. 

At this writing (October, 1887) there are three Grand Consistories and forty Sub¬ 
ordinate Consistories with their appendant bodies, located in the States of New 
York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ten¬ 
nessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida, Kansas and the District of Columbia, under the 
obedience of the Cerneau Supreme Council. Thus has the prophecy of Ill. Bro. 
Hays been fulfilled, “ Truth has indeed prevailed,” and the Cerneau body has suc¬ 
cessfully asserted its rights. 

The members of the various subordinate bodies owing allegiance to the Sovereign 
Grand Consistory and its Supreme Council are enthusiastic in their support of the 
authority which they honestly believe to be descended from the Sovereign Grand Con¬ 
sistory and Supreme Council established by Ill. Joseph Cerneau in the city of New 
York in the year 1807, and the only legitimate power over the degrees of the Ancient 
Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the United States of America, its Territo¬ 
ries and Dependencies ; and they propose to continue the good work, believing that 
ere long the balance of the territory stolen from the Supreme Council will all be re¬ 
claimed, and that the Supreme Council, having resumed the proud place it before 
occupied in the constellation of legitimate Scottish Rite Masonry, will continue to en¬ 
list under its banners good and true Masons from all parts of the land, until to be but 
an humble member of a subordinate body under its authority will be considered a 
great privilege and a high honor. 


• I 


34 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 


List of Sovereign Grand Commanders From 1807 

to 1887. 

I. Joseph Cerneau, 1807-1821. 

II. John W. Mulligan, 1821-1823, also 1844-1845. 

III. De Witt Clinton, 1823-1825, also to 1828. 

IV. Marquis De Lafayette, 1825. 

V. Elias Hicks, 1828-1844. 

VI. Henry C. Atwood, 1845-1851, also 1852-1860. 

VII. Jeremy L. Cross, 1851-1852. 

VIII. Edmund B. Hays, 1860-1872. 

IX. Harry J. Seymour, 1872-1880. 

X. William H. Peckham, 1880-1887. 

XI. Ferdinand J. S. Gorgas, M.D., 1887—. 


Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. 35 


Grand Consistory S.\ P.\ R.\ -S.\, Thirty-Second 
Degree, of the State of N ew York. 

ANNUAL RENDEZVOUS. 

Second . Wednesday in March. 

GRAND OFFICERS. 

III.*. Haynes L. Hart, 33 0 , Gd.\ Commander in Chief, Oswego, N. Y. 

Ill.*. Wm. Warner Meiners, 33 0 , First L,t.\ Gd. - . Commander, Long Island 
City, N. Y. 

Ill.'. Ira L. Case, 33 0 , Second Lt.\ Gd.\ Commander, Middletown, N. Y. 

Ill.'. John T. Kelly, 33 0 , Gd.\ Orator and Min.', of State, Albany, N. Y. 

Ill.'. Andrew J. Prevost, 33 0 , Gd.. - Sec. - , and K. - . of S. - . and A. - ., Brooklyn, 
N. Y. 

111 . - . John Wood, 33 0 , Gd.\ Treasurer, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Ill.'. W. W. Babcock, 33°, Gd.\ Mas. - . Gen. - , of Ceremonies, Binghamton, 
N. Y. 

Ill. - . E. H. Bartley, M.D., 33 0 , Gd. - . Capt. - . of the Guard, Brooklyn, N. Y. ( 
Ill. - . Noble F. Martin, 33 0 , Gd. - . Hospitaler, Utica, N. Y. 

\ 

Subordinate Consistories under the Jurisdiction of 
the Grand Consistory of the State of New York. 

Cerneau No. x, New York. 

Utica No. 2, Utica. 

Temple No. 4, Albany. 

De Witt Clinton No. 11, Middletown. 

h v Lake Ontario No. 12, Oswego. 

Binghamton No. 23, Binghamton. 

Brooklyn No. 24, Brooklyn. 

Chenango, No. 31, Norwich. 

Dunkirk No. 34, Dunkirk. 

Hornell No. 40, Hornellsville. 

V. - . III. - . ALEXANDER B. MOTT, M.D., 33°, 

Active Save. Gd.\ Inspector General for the State of New York. 

Address, Madison Ave. cor. 27th St., New York City. 

1887. 



































































t 


s 


\ 







% 







I 




\ 





% 






A 





' 





o" 027 273 205 A 


* 




V 
































